Basen Black 22A 1100mAh 18500 Bench Test Results...a wildly overrated 12A battery

[Mooch]

These cells were donated for the purposes of testing by Basen. Thank you! To prevent any confusion with the eGo-type "batteries", I use the term "cell" here to refer to a single 18350, 18650, 26650, etc.

While the test results are hard data, the conclusions and recommendations I make based on these tests are only my personal opinion based on my criteria for setting a rating. Carefully research any cell you are considering using before purchasing.

Testing cells at their limits is dangerous and should never, ever, be attempted by anyone who has not thoroughly studied the dangers involved and how to minimize them.

If the cell has only one current rating number on it, or if it says "max discharging current" then I have to assume that the company is stating that the cell can be discharged at that current level in any way, including continuously.




Bottom Line
This Basen has a hugely exaggerated current rating and is only a 12A cell. At its 22A current rating it would deliver less than 50mAh down to 3.2V. But its capacity is higher than 1100mAh and I am rating it at 1200mAh.

The 18350/18500 ratings table is being updated to include this cell.


Continuous-Current Test Results



Pulse-Current Test Results



Comments

• At 10A continuous it reached about 1081mAh. This is too high for an 1100mAh cell but is great performance for a 1200mAh cell at 10A so I am rating this cell at 1200mAh.
• At 15A continuous the temperature rose to 69°C. This is below the average voltage of a cell operating at its continuous discharge rating (CDR) but the voltage is sagging significantly. This indicates that we are operating above its true rating.
• At 20A continuous the temperature rose to 84°C and the voltage sag was huge. This is clearly not a 22A cell.
• I am setting a CDR of 12A for this cell. At above this level the voltage sag is just too severe. While operating any cell near its rated maximum current level causes damage to the cell, I would expect decent cycle life from this cell at 12A continuous.
• I have included pulsed discharges but I haven't set pass/fail standards for pulse testing yet. The discharges were done at 5sec on/30sec off, down to 2.5V. One chart shows the entire discharge at each level. The other chart is zoomed in to show the first 5 minutes to make it easier to see the voltage sag at different current levels.

To see how other cells have tested and how hard you can safely push them, check out these links:
List of Battery Tests | E-Cigarette Forum
18350/18500 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum
18650 Battery Ratings -- Picking a Safe Battery to Vape With | E-Cigarette Forum
26650 Safety Grades and Pulse Performance Data | E-Cigarette Forum