CPSC Warns Against Use of Loose Lithium-Ion Batteries Due to Fire Hazard
The Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers Friday not to buy or use loose 18650 lithium-ion battery cells, saying they can short-circuit, resulting in explosion or fire. The specified cells are manufactured as industrial component parts of battery packs, don't…
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have protection circuits and aren't intended for individual sale to consumers, but they're being separated, rewrapped and sold as new consumer batteries, typically on the internet, said CPSC. Rechargeable lithium cells without proper protection that aren't installed in a device or as part of an integral battery may have exposed metal positive and negative terminals that can short-circuit when they come into contact with metal objects, such as keys or loose change in a pocket, it said. Once shorted, loose cells can overheat and experience "thermal runaway, igniting the cell’s internal materials and forcibly expelling burning contents, resulting in fires, explosions, serious injuries and even death," it said. Thermal runaway can also occur in loose cells if consumers use them in inappropriate chargers that allow charging beyond the cell’s specifications, CPSC warned. A growing number of small consumer products, such as vaping devices, personal fans, headlamps and some toys, use loose 18650s as a power source, it said. CPSC is working with e-commerce sites, including eBay, to remove listings for loose cells.