Take care of your lithium ion battery

Lithium-ion batteries have a finite life, slowly degrading from the day they are first manufactured. Battery life will depend on how you charge and discharge the battery and the temperature at which the battery is kept. A manufacturer will rate a laptop battery to the point where it contains 50% of its original capacity. At this point you should consider replacing the battery.

Lithium ion batteries are not as durable as nickel metal hybrid or nickel cadmium batteries and can be extremely dangerous if mistreated. They tend to be more expensive.

Lithium-ion batteries can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes, to efficiently fill available space in the devices they power, but lithium-ion batteries are lighter than other equivalent secondary batteries.

Energy is stored in these batteries through the movement of lithium ions. Lithium is the third lightest element, which is a substantial weight saving compared to batteries using much heavier metals. However, most electrodes are effectively “houses” for the ions and add weight, plus the “dead weight” of the electrolyte, current collectors, casing, electronics, and conductivity additives reduce charge by unit of mass to little more than that. from other rechargeable batteries. The strength of lithium-ion chemistry is the high open-circuit voltage compared to aqueous batteries (such as lead acid, nickel metal hydride, and nickel cadmium).

One important thing: lithium-ion batteries do not suffer from the memory effect. They also have a low self-discharge rate of approximately 5% per month, compared to over 30% per month for Nickel Metal Hydride batteries and 10% per month for Nickel Cadmium batteries.

Here’s a quick list of do’s and don’ts for caring for your Li-On batteries:

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1. When you get a new laptop or tablet, let the battery fully charge overnight.
2. Condition a new battery by using it until it is fully discharged and then fully recharging it. Doing this once a month will help accurately calibrate the battery.
3. Always ensure that the battery is recharged as soon as possible after it has been fully discharged. A battery will be permanently damaged if left for an extended period in a fully discharged state.
4. Remember that a lithium ion battery will slowly deteriorate; a new battery will always perform better than one that is 6 months old.
5. Remember that the average life of the battery it is rated for a certain total number of charge/discharge cycles (see your User Manual or Quick Start Guide for rating). For example, a battery that is rated for 3 hours and 500 charge/discharge cycles will still be considered within specification even if it only lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes after 500 charge/discharge cycles.
6. Heat is a battery’s worst enemy. Allow enough air to circulate around the laptop/tablet to keep the battery as cool as possible while charging and also when in use. If provided, use the built-in ‘feet’ under the laptop to raise the laptop and improve air circulation.
7. Remove battery if storing for several months (battery should have approximately 50% charge or more).
8. If you use a NoteBus or if you charge your laptops or tablet PCs in a confined space, allow adequate ventilation to keep the batteries as cool as possible.

not to do

1. Do not: Expose the battery to excessive heat or cold (ie, outside the ambient temperature range of 10 to 35 degrees Celsius).
2. No – Store the battery in a fully charged state (store batteries with approximately 50% charge).
3. No: Allow a nearly discharged battery to sit unused for more than a month or so. The battery will slowly discharge until it is fully discharged and this will permanently damage the battery cells.
4. No: Charge your laptop or tablet inside a carrying case; the battery could overheat.
5. No – Charge your laptop/tablet when it’s stacked on top of each other; the battery could overheat.

Remember: your battery is slowly degrading all the time, even if it’s not being used. Keeping the battery as cool as possible will greatly reduce this degradation.