My Charger Overcharged my 18350

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Heavyrocker

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I dont think China clones Efest batts,those batts are rated highly,just be careful of the trustfires.

Some lower-cost consumer chargers may use the simplified “charge-and-run” method that charges a lithium-ion battery in one hour or less without going to the Stage 2 saturation charge. “Ready” appears when the battery reaches the voltage threshold at Stage 1. Since the state-of-charge (SoC) at this point is only about 85 percent, the user may complain of short runtime, not knowing that the charger is to blame. Many warranty batteries are being replaced for this reason, and this phenomenon is especially common in the cellular industry.


Should the pressure rise further, a safety membrane bursts open at 3,450kPa (500psi) and the cell might eventually vent with flame. The thermal runaway moves lower when the battery is fully charged; for Li-cobalt this threshold is between 130–150C°C (266–302°F), nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) is 170–180°C (338–356°F), and manganese is 250°C (482°F). Li-phosphate enjoys similar and better temperature stabilities than manganese.



Overcharging Lithium-ion

Lithium-ion operates safely within the designated operating voltages; however, the battery becomes unstable if inadvertently charged to a higher than specified voltage. Prolonged charging above 4.30V forms plating of metallic lithium on the anode, while the cathode material becomes an oxidizing agent, loses stability and produces carbon dioxide (CO2). The cell pressure rises, and if charging is allowed to continue the current interrupt device (CID) responsible for cell safety disconnects the current at 1,380kPa (200psi).


Do not recharge lithium-ion if a cell has stayed at or below 1.5V for more than a week. Copper shunts may have formed inside the cells that can lead to a partial or total electrical short. If recharged, the cells might become unstable, causing excessive heat or showing other anomalies. Li-ion packs that have been under stress are more sensitive to mechanical abuse, such as vibration, dropping and exposure to heat.


http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries
 
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tA71ana

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Couple few points:

Do you know which version NiteCore you have? The V1 version - which was recalled in the USA - uses higher charging current than V2 version. There were several things about the V1 models that made them not great chargers, including too high charge current for smaller capacity batteries.

To tell the difference between a V1 and V2 model: Difference between Sysmax charger V1 and V2

Review of the V1 model: Review of Charger SysMax i4

There are enough problems with that version that it shouldn't be used by anyone but an expert.

Review of the V2 model: Review of Charger SysMax/NiteCore i4 V2

Ok, so what's going on? :blink:

See which version NiteCore you have and what the capacity of your 18350's is. I suspect you may have a V1 if 18350 batteries are getting warm during the charge cycle. There is the possibility that overcharging the batteries in a V1 NiteCore could have damaged them, making it difficult for any charger to now properly work with them. To rule in/out try some new 18350's in the Xtar and see what voltage you are getting at the end of charge cycles.

The NiteCore I have is an I2 (2 -bay)...are there different versions of that one too?
My I2 has the yellow label.
It charges the 18350 batts ok even thoght they get a little warm while charging (they do come off at a consistent 4.2v) but I had been having an issue with one of the bays and wanted to get a backup for my 18350s, so I got the MP2.
The charger that overcharged my batt was the MP2..the batts did not get warm at all.
 

tA71ana

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I dont think China clones Efest batts,those batts are rated highly,just be careful of the trustfires.

Some lower-cost consumer chargers may use the simplified “charge-and-run” method that charges a lithium-ion battery in one hour or less without going to the Stage 2 saturation charge. “Ready” appears when the battery reaches the voltage threshold at Stage 1. Since the state-of-charge (SoC) at this point is only about 85 percent, the user may complain of short runtime, not knowing that the charger is to blame. Many warranty batteries are being replaced for this reason, and this phenomenon is especially common in the cellular industry.


Should the pressure rise further, a safety membrane bursts open at 3,450kPa (500psi) and the cell might eventually vent with flame. The thermal runaway moves lower when the battery is fully charged; for Li-cobalt this threshold is between 130–150C°C (266–302°F), nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) is 170–180°C (338–356°F), and manganese is 250°C (482°F). Li-phosphate enjoys similar and better temperature stabilities than manganese.



Overcharging Lithium-ion

Lithium-ion operates safely within the designated operating voltages; however, the battery becomes unstable if inadvertently charged to a higher than specified voltage. Prolonged charging above 4.30V forms plating of metallic lithium on the anode, while the cathode material becomes an oxidizing agent, loses stability and produces carbon dioxide (CO2). The cell pressure rises, and if charging is allowed to continue the current interrupt device (CID) responsible for cell safety disconnects the current at 1,380kPa (200psi).


Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries

Yeah - I don't use any batts that are *fire.... I got my Efests from a trusted B&M.
 

Rickajho

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The NiteCore I have is an I2 (2 -bay)...are there different versions of that one too?
My I2 has the yellow label.
It charges the 18350 batts ok even thoght they get a little warm while charging (they do come off at a consistent 4.2v) but I had been having an issue with one of the bays and wanted to get a backup for my 18350s, so I got the MP2.

The I2 is ok. The bad design 4 channel came out first, then the 2 channel I2, then the V2 of the 4 channel with a lot of fixes.

The charger that overcharged my batt was the MP2..the batts did not get warm at all.

That was understood. My concern was what a 4 channel V1 might have done to the batteries first, before they hit the MP2. But since you have an I2 instead... nevermind!

Just try the MP2 a few times and check the batteries. One time hitting 4.3 V could just have been a fluke. Several times? You could ask for a replacement. Xtar warrants their stuff for 2 years - contact the place you got it from if you need warranty replacement.
 

tA71ana

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The I2 is ok. The bad design 4 channel came out first, then the 2 channel I2, then the V2 of the 4 channel with a lot of fixes.



That was understood. My concern was what a 4 channel V1 might have done to the batteries first, before they hit the MP2. But since you have an I2 instead... nevermind!

Just try the MP2 a few times and check the batteries. One time hitting 4.3 V could just have been a fluke. Several times? You could ask for a replacement. Xtar warrants their stuff for 2 years - contact the place you got it from if you need warranty replacement.

Thanks...will do :thumb:
Before I got my I2 I had thought about getting a I4 but now I'm glad I didn't because I did not know about the two versions of it.
 
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