Is My Battery Safe To Use?

[plastic-ashtray]

So on New Years I had a buddy stay over at my place and he was using my vape.
Apparently after I went to sleep he tried to change the battery in my mech and put it in the wrong way. Well I noticed it wasn't firing so I opened it up and saw that its orientation was wrong, threw it on my charger and it read 2.45 volts. It's been charging for a while now but I want to make sure I'm not going to blow myself up as it's one of the four LG HB2's I use for my single tube mechs.

 

[conanthewarrior]

Him putting the battery the wrong way won't be an issue here, the problem is the voltage the battery went too.

As it has gone below 2.5V(Only just though), which is the point damage can, and does occur to the battery, I would toss the battery myself. You will have lost a few dollars and a battery, but it is better than losing something much more precious.

Saying this though, I have recovered one Li-po at a low voltage, due to a known issue with a certain mod draining battery whilst being delivered. I was very cautious when I used this, and replaced it as soon as possible.

 

[frigusoris]

Personally, I would not use that cell in a mech after reading 2.45V. I personally would use it in a regulated mod at moderate wattage, but I'm VERY familiar with lithium cells in general and tend to take risks I wouldn't recommend to others.

Damage can occur whenever a cell drops below the 3V mark, though an 18650 cell is generally robust enough to go down to the 2.5 level. Either way, there is a risk the cell was damaged. Best case scenario, you've lost a bit of capacity. Worst case scenario, you've damaged the internals to the point where it'll create it's own short. The tricky thing is you never know the extent of the damage. In all likely hood it's somewhere in the middle, but is it worth the risk using it in a device that's literally held to your face? I don't think so.

I would put that cell in battery bank for charging devices if it were up to me. Still plenty safe for low draw applications such as a mobile charger or a flashlight.