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Mining batteries from old laptop packs

cjhest1983

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I know this is less than ideal, but I had heard from a few people and threads that laptop battery packs usually contain 18650 batteries and they might be able to be used in some devices. Out of curiosity, I decided to tear apart an old, but rarely used one I had laying around. Inside, I found 6 Samsung ICR 18650 22E SDI 723 batteries that had minimal solder on the ends. Here's a picture:
20140727_232546.jpg

I found some information that says these are 2200mah, but haven't found much else for information. I did see some info on ECF that says to steer clear of using these in most circumstances, which I will probably do. I was wondering if there would be any way to distribute the power through discharging in parallel in a custom box mod. I'm not a battery wiz, but i would think that drawing current in a parallel setup would disperse the amp draw equally over the batteries - but I'm probably wrong.

Any experts out there?
 

bluraff3

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Interesting. I am by no means an expert, but I believe the amp draw would be dispersed evenly (I'm basing this on a vague recollection from my old circuit analysis textbook, plus the fact that it seems logical). Do they look like they are protected cells? If not, then you still need to somehow figure out what each batt can draw to make sure that you have a safe setup.
 

James

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I do it but I use a kick so its safe as hell /
 

cjhest1983

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I think this is a lost cause. The batteries were reading anywhere from 1.2v to 2.5v. On the other hand, I'm wondering if this would be viable for the future. The battery from my eVic was a Samsung ICR, just higher mAh. I'm still going to have to think about this before I chuck them out.
 

James

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Is that before or after a charge ?
 

Kristen Becker

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I took some out of an old Toshiba I had. $ of them charged fully and 2 were duds. I kept them as back ups for quite a while because I was actually afraid they would blow my face off. LOL I eventually put one of them in an older mod I had and within an hour the battery was black. I disposed of them right after that.
 

James

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That sux , I got 6 in rotation right now and thay last about 3/4 of a day each , but i use them with a kick in a hammer mod . Single coil , 2.0 ohm areotank .
 

Superjeep

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FYI this is where a fair amount of fakes come from. They recycle laptop batteries and put a brand name wrap on them and they end up on ebay or in B&M's that do not know better. I remember a couple years ago when old VV stacked battery box mods were in you had about a %50 chance of getting a fake trustfire it got so bad.
 

James

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Who the hell would buy trustfire batterys ? I would rather have my old lappy batterys . There good quality batterys made in japan . But that beeing as it is i have no intention of overdriveing them . Thats why i have a kick .
 

Superjeep

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Who the hell would buy trustfire batterys ? .

Lots of people bought trustfires years ago when the VV mods were box mods that ran on 2 protected cells because you needed a 5v input voltage.. People forget just how fast the vape scene has advanced in the last couple years. There was no sub ohm craze and IMR this and that. Hell I still have 2 old OKR vv box mods with trusties in them. They still work like champs even though they do not get any use.
 

James

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That good to know . I read so many things about batterys , most of it along the line of , these batterys are sold to me as superduper flasheypaint job ultracells and thay are not realy any better than what i had . Except for the paintjob.
 

Kemosabe

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I took some out of an old Toshiba I had. $ of them charged fully and 2 were duds. I kept them as back ups for quite a while because I was actually afraid they would blow my face off. LOL I eventually put one of them in an older mod I had and within an hour the battery was black. I disposed of them right after that.

woah, a blackened battery, huh? was the entire cell black or did it get streaks? the reason i ask is because i have an older AW 18490 that recently got black streaks. i initially thought nothing of it because i had written the date with black sharpie and figured it was the ink that smeared but now im wondering if this batt is toast...could be the beginnings of what happened to your cell. any advice?
 

Superjeep

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If the wrap on a battery turns black it tells me your trying to pull more from the cell than it can take ie its getting to hot. Unless you know for a fact it was the sharpie I would use it in a less demanding coil set up or retire the battery. I mean it could be the sharpie just smeared is the date still there or is it just a streak now? AW wraps are pretty resilient so thats a kinda weird one. That wrap would probably melt before it blackened from heat I would think.
 

Kemosabe

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If the wrap on a battery turns black it tells me your trying to pull more from the cell than it can take ie its getting to hot. Unless you know for a fact it was the sharpie I would use it in a less demanding coil set up or retire the battery. I mean it could be the sharpie just smeared is the date still there or is it just a streak now? AW wraps are pretty resilient so thats a kinda weird one. That wrap would probably melt before it blackened from heat I would think.
It's likely the sharpie but it's not 100% clear. The date is still there but less ink is present. It could also be something from inside the tube. Idk but I will be cautious with it just in case. Thanks.
 

Spike64

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I've used and still use several batteries mined from Dell laptop batteries...they are identifiable and I've been able look up what they are, who made them, and what the capacity is...I've even seen a few of the ones I've identified being sold on vape sites...that said, they are generally ICR and I only use them in VV/VW mods because of the protection features for batteries that they offer...I would never use them unprotected in a mech mod...
 

Warhawk-AVG

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Most of those batteries aren't capable of delivering the current needed for vaping unless you vape thru an APV at below 10 watts (I vape on my Vamo on my bottom coil (protank style tanks at 6.5watts, and my genesis style rebuildables at 8 watts)

I use laptop pulls for my flashlights and portable power packs, my "budget" flashlights
In fact I just bought 27 (9cellsx3 packs) of Sanyo 2600mAh delivered for $16~ :D
 

cjhest1983

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Is that before or after a charge ?
this was before a charge. I don't have a trusty charger I would feel comfortable charging them in. I think I'll just toss them. If it was a newer set, I'd consider it, but most of these are about 7 years old.
 

StrappedKaos

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Apple laptop packs tend to house really good batts for regulated devices, just ne careful and you should be fine. I have green and grey pannys from apple for father's evic.
 

Jonothon Forsgren

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I usually try to steer clear of ICR chemistry batteries. Just not designed for a high discharge. IMO I wouldn't put that battery in anything other than an Evic since that's what they use anyway. In a mech or any high wattage device, I would say go for Sony VTC4 or VTC5. Safe and good capacity.
 

EthelMaltol

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I would think they would be fine, inexpensive batteries for tanks, etc. If you are running around 2 ohms, I don't see the harm. You could also buy one of those 2 cents for safety devices, just in case. I had been thinking of doing this myself, but it seemed like a lot of work to remove the casing, solder, etc.
 

shynsly

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Most of those laptop batteries are not high drain from what i hear and that is what makes the difference.

I wouldnt use those next to my face...but good luck if ya want too just keep 911 on speed dial.....
 

CaFF

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I just harvested eight LG 18650 C2 2800mAh batteries from a $2.00 thrift store HP notebook battery pack. :)

Open on the seam they said...well this pack had a FALSE SEAM. The real seam was welded shut AND glued as a flapped sort of clamshell deal. Drove me insane at first. Then, I saw the real way it was put together after I carefully cut one of the corners off. (at the point farthest away from the cells near the connector)

After that, I managed it with a lot of tools, elbow grease and Tim Allen Destruction Mode.
devil-0031.gif


(Pack was dated from 11/2011)






The aftermath:




Yes, I scuffed the wrapper on a couple of 'em in the battle to free them, but the batteries are intact though. I can always re-wrap them or just electrical tape 'em in the meantime.






I cleaned them up and marked them according to their original parings.
Ran them all past a multimeter for internal resistance and voltage...they were pretty low on voltage left, but usable. Charging up nicely now.



Now, these are a higher capacity battery that can be charged to 4.3v, but only with a special charger or a hobby charger which I don't have. According to HKJ's test, ya only lose about 300mAh of capacity charging them to 4.2v. Not bad. ;-)

Yes, they are ICR, but that doesn't matter much considering the price.
I won't be using them for anything low-ohm or high-drain, I have my good batteries for that.

Not a bad battery though according to HKJ: http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/LG 18650 C2 2800mAh (Orange) UK.htm

I'm pretty happy with the results here; for two bucks I got 8 good cells.
 

Hobby Kid

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@CaFF judging by what it took to get them out I can see doing the opposite and rebuilding a laptop battery is a no go.
 

CaFF

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First two pairs are done charging...it took FOREVER to charge since the Nitecore i4 puts out a pretty low current for four batteries. I normally do two 18650s for a full 750mAh each, but I opted for caution and the lower strain on relatively old and extremely weak ICR batteries.

Of all eight cells recovered, they ranged from 2.19 to 2.48v as pairs before charging,
That's with a +/- 0.1v variance between paired cells. . Pretty damn borderline, but chargeable under a careful watch. I checked them about every 15-20 mins to feel the heat level, check for smells, etc.

However, all four of this batch came out to 4.2v on the nose. :D

StPUIyyl.jpg


Wooohooo!

Found some more specs on these: http://www.dhgate.com/store/product/18650-li-ion-batteries-lg-icr18650-c2-2800mah/158709919.html
 
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Warhawk-AVG

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First two pairs are done charging...it took FOREVER to charge since the Nitecore i4 puts out a pretty low current for four batteries. I normally do two 18650s for a full 750mAh each, but I opted for caution and the lower strain on relatively old and extremely weak ICR batteries.

Of all eight cells recovered, they ranged from 2.19 to 2.48v as pairs before charging,
That's with a +/- 0.1v variance between paired cells. . Pretty damn borderline, but chargeable under a careful watch. I checked them about every 15-20 mins to feel the heat level, check for smells, etc.

However, all four of this batch came out to 4.2v on the nose. :D

StPUIyyl.jpg


Wooohooo!

Found some more specs on these: http://www.dhgate.com/store/product/18650-li-ion-batteries-lg-icr18650-c2-2800mah/158709919.html

2.6 Max. Discharge Current

For continuoudischarge

1.5C (4050mA)

4A is NOT alot of wiggle room for vaping...be careful! 5A continuous is about the LOWEST you can safely go in a vaping rig with electronics in it (aka a kick or VV/VW that ISN'T some crazy 30 watt jobby)
 
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CaFF

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2.6 Max. Discharge Current

For continuoudischarge

1.5C (4050mA)

4A is NOT alot of wiggle room for vaping...be careful! 5A continuous is about the LOWEST you can safely go in a vaping rig with electronics in it (aka a kick or VV/VW that ISN'T some crazy 30 watt jobby)

Yeah, I read that. I got the LG Chem PDF they took that info from too:

5702_5.pdf

Hell, I didn't have a vape over 3W until I got the Ovale V8....I'm ok with that. 4A is a lot of power if you ask me.

For now, I only have one VV/VW rig that takes 18650's: my SVD. Which maxes out at 5amps and is the first gen model that can't fire below 1.3 ohms anyways.

I've been test-vaping the LG batt on my 1.8Ω PT @ 9W all evening and the battery is still at 4.1v. Battery is cool to the touch still.

It's a pretty capable old battery, just not meant for "modern" vaping. Not everyone has to vape 15W+ or sub-ohm. ;-)

I vape VV/VW mods using 1.8 - 2.4Ω loads at 8-9W, so according to the math I'm well within tolerances. If I do use it in a mech, I'll build it just like I would have back in the day: vapesafe fuse and a 2Ω+ load. I've never even owned a Kick.
 

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Warhawk-AVG

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Gotta be careful with the math though, remember it's a buck circuit on a VV/VW system, it may be delivering 8-9W to the head, but due to the inefficiencies in the electronics and the boost from battery volts to say 6vdc pulse DC with PWM it could be pulling more from the battery.

It still seems with 1.8Ω at 9 watts, even if you battery was at the lower end of 3.7 to 3.4vdc its only pushing 2~A, so even if the boost circuit was WOEFULLY inefficient...you should be golden

Yeah, I rock my Vamo and MVP2 and other rigs with the FT kick on my protank style heads at 6.5watts, and my genesis style RBA's at 8 watts, these batteries just hum along as happy as can be...it's the mechanical rig folks that go low ohms that need to pay close attention

Good call!
 

CaFF

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Yuppers. Thanks for looking out though and reminding me about the PWM. :D

BTW, like HKJ said in his review, these batteries charge just fine to 4.2v but they do not terminate entirely correctly. Seems these have really low internal resistance too as I can't measure it with the DMM I have..

My Nitecore i4 leaves them at 3 flashing lights and shuts the power off, but they don't go to all solid lights because the battery COULD go to 4.3v and it confuses the charger. I just pull them once in awhile after they get to tthree flashing lights and check the voltage manually with my DMM.

So far, all the cells have charged to 4.2v without issue or overheating...which is good.

I'm not about to try charging them on my old TR-001 either...that is just asking for a meltdown.

"Magic smoke" is bad....

NGC03No.png
 
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CaFF

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Damn, these batteries don't let up. I've been vaping THAT SAME BATTERY @ 8-9W since my last post.
I haven't used that mod exclusively, but it's used in the rotation and today the crazy battery is still at 3.8v...wth?

At this rate, it'll take a couple of weeks to run through the eight cells. :D
 

cjhest1983

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So, after seeing CaFF's post, I'm still wondering if I should get rid of the batteries or not. I have this crazy idear that I could potentially make an e-hookah out of an old ammo box I have laying around. I'm not an electronics wizard, but would anyone know if the batteries I posted would work better for lower builds if they were set up in parallel? I would want to build something that was VW with a mosfet switch. Anyone who know, or knows someone who could help out with instructions on how to build this, send me a message. I've seen the lunchbox mods and I think an ammo box mod would be sweet. I have a DNA30 and when it's later in the evening, I end up chain vaping on it for about 2 hours before my battery dies and have to switch it out for something else. I figure if I had something that could house maybe 6 batts in parallel, it would even out the amp load between the batteries and put less stress on them, but like I said... I'm not an electronics wiz.
 

BigNasty

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Personally I trust LG cells less than I trust batteries with fire in the name.
Here is why. When I was repairing cell phone the ONLY battery packs I had detonate on me where lgs, the packs were not punctured warped or bloated. I dropped the first one which landed flat from a height of 6" and it instantly ballooned up and exploded toasting a rather costly anti static mat.
The other one exploded on the tester.
 

Celtic Fog

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WTF, what cell phones still use O type battery packs lol....was it a retro brick model or are you really aging yourself heheheheh.
 

Sahsah

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I know this is less than ideal, but I had heard from a few people and threads that laptop battery packs usually contain 18650 batteries and they might be able to be used in some devices. Out of curiosity, I decided to tear apart an old, but rarely used one I had laying around. Inside, I found 6 Samsung ICR 18650 22E SDI 723 batteries that had minimal solder on the ends. Here's a picture:
View attachment 2703

I found some information that says these are 2200mah, but haven't found much else for information. I did see some info on ECF that says to steer clear of using these in most circumstances, which I will probably do. I was wondering if there would be any way to distribute the power through discharging in parallel in a custom box mod. I'm not a battery wiz, but i would think that drawing current in a parallel setup would disperse the amp draw equally over the batteries - but I'm probably wrong.

Any experts out there?
It's likely the sharpie but it's not 100% clear. The date is still there but less ink is present. It could also be something from inside the tube. Idk but I will be cautious with it just in case. Thanks.
What resistance were you running it at on average? Or what resistance were you operating at when you noticed the black streaking? Was that session more intensive than what you normally subject this specific cell to?
 

Giraut

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Here's a trick if you don't trust batteries or chargers: charge the batteries inside a closed M2A1 ammo box. That, if anything catches on fire, it won't burn your house down.

Me, almost everything I own that needs charging gets charged in an airtight, sturdy metal container of some kind. I just don't trust batteries.
 

Kemosabe

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What resistance were you running it at on average? Or what resistance were you operating at when you noticed the black streaking? Was that session more intensive than what you normally subject this specific cell to?

sorry but i dont recall. for me, it was def the sharpie.

Here's a trick if you don't trust batteries or chargers: charge the batteries inside a closed M2A1 ammo box. That, if anything catches on fire, it won't burn your house down.

Me, almost everything I own that needs charging gets charged in an airtight, sturdy metal container of some kind. I just don't trust batteries.

great advice. thats what my buddy does with his lipo RC car packs. those packs can get violent, quick! he either uses the ammo box or cinder blocks.
 

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