Lithium Battery storage

[MaryB]

It's perfectly possible to blow up a single cell.

Phones are safer because they have better charge/discharge management hardware than cheap tool packs.

Phone flat pack batteries are a different chemistry, one that doesn't start on fire as easily as the 18650 cells in tool battery packs

[uscra112]

Phones use lithium polymer cells, which are even more prone to failures than the hard shell 18650. Ask me how I know.

[MaryB]

I NEVER charge a lithium battery unless I am monitoring it. Because of my bad back I have to get up and stretch every 2 hours or so so I walk over to whatever is charging and feel the pack to make sure it has no hot spots. Had a cheap Chinese tool pack start to overheat last week. Caught it in time to unplug it. Buried it in a bucket of sand I keep next to my repair bench where I replace phone batteries. Sometime a battery will short as you wedge it out(they are glued in!) and start to burn. Into the sand and bury it. Smothers the fire.

Tesla started on fire 7 miles from me. It burned so hot that the glass and rims melted into the pavement. The remains of the car fit in a bobcat bucket... rest burned/melted. Couldn't pay me to drive a lithium battery powered car! Toxic waste dumps on wheels!

[trebor44]

Extremely helpful info, especially the link to EHS.mit docs! Always had to wonder about the un-attended charging since the BLM office in Challis burned down a couple of years ago. Thanks to all who contributed.