LITHIUM ION/POLYMER BATTERY SAFETY WARNINGS
Vitally Important Safety Information
Ensure that the charger and battery are placed on a non-flammable
surface whilst charging and ideally charge outdoors wherever
possible.
NEVER
charge a Lithium ION/Polymer/Fe battery inside a
vehicle whatever the circumstances.
Ensure that the charger is correctly set for the battery being charged,
checking both voltage and capacity. Be particularly careful if using a
series/parallel battery pack, or if using packs of different
specifications with the same charger.
Never charge at a rate higher than that recommended by the cell
manufacturer, this can be very dangerous.
DO NOT
leave Lithium ION/Polymer/Fe batteries unattended whilst
they are charging. Monitoring the batteries during charging is very
important.
Monitor the temperature of the battery being charged every few
minutes. If the battery becomes hot to the touch, disconnect it from
the charger immediately and allow to cool. Do not recommence
charging until the battery and charger have been checked for
compatibility and the charger settings have been confirmed as being
correct.
In the unlikely event of the Lithium ION/Polymer/Fe battery catching
fire
DO NOT
use water to attempt to put the fire out, instead use sand
or a fire extinguisher designed for electrical fires.
If used correctly, Lithium ION/Polymer/Fe battery packs are as safe
as any other type of rechargeable battery pack. However they do
require different charge regimes to the longer established Nickel
Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydride technologies and do have to
potential of catching fire if severely mistreated.
If Lithium Polymer battery packs are short-circuited or severely
over-charged elemental Lithium may be deposited internally, and
if the battery pouch is damaged this can escape from inside the
battery. If this occurs a fire may be caused, as elemental Lithium
is highly reactive when exposed to water or moisture, producing
flammable hydrogen gas and corrosive fumes. Elemental Lithium is
not produced unless the battery pack is severely mistreated, so in
normal usage there is no likelihood of explosion or fire.
3