# Can you charge Lithium Batteries In A Nicad/Nimh Charger?



## gefff (May 10, 2007)

I'm new to this web site, and still learning about techinical issues.

I have a Ni Cad - Ni mh Charger, what will happen if I try to charge Lithium Batteries with it?

It seems that every time I buy a new rechargable battery, I have to buy a new charger for that that battery.


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## tigermoth2000 (May 10, 2007)

Eeek! Don’t do it, I'm not an expert but I'm sure the Lithium battery would make like a firework!! I’m pretty sure you need another charger, as the charge voltage/current wont be the same, sorry.

Hopefully someone else can confirm this and tell you which charger would be best, you could post the make and type of battery as my 3V lithium RCR123s cannot be charged in a 3.7v Lithium charger!…

Joe.


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## AndyTiedye (May 10, 2007)




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## cd-card-biz (May 10, 2007)

Gefff - 

*STEP AWAY FROM THE CHARGER!*

Very smart of you to ask first. Don't do it. There are a few videos around of Lithiums-on-fire and you probably don't want that at your house.

Li-Ion charging must be done with great care, understanding and attention to safety.

I'll let the experts here give you the technical details as I'm still learning myself. I just wanted to be sure that you don't hurt yourself.

Take care,
Bill


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## dulridge (May 10, 2007)

gefff said:


> I'm new to this web site, and still learning about techinical issues.
> 
> I have a Ni Cad - Ni mh Charger, what will happen if I try to charge Lithium Batteries with it?
> 
> It seems that every time I buy a new rechargable battery, I have to buy a new charger for that that battery.



Can't see how a charger designed to push against 1.2-1.4V in order to shove some charge into a battery stands any chance of shoving against 3.6-4.2V from a lithium battery. I suspect all it'd do is discharge the cell sufficiently to render it unusable thereafter - depends on how the rectification is done I suppose.

Best guess:
1. At best it won't work
2. At worst it will destroy the Li cell discharging it too far for recovery which will render it dangerous the next time it is charged on a charger that can actually charge it. 

Possibly with 2 dummy cells in a charger that charges 3 NiCd/MH cells in parallel, you might actually be able to shove some charge into the cell. Assuming such a device actually exists, this would be a very unwise thing to do.


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## MarNav1 (May 10, 2007)

:lolsign:  :sweat:    :eeksign: :duck:  Don't try it. If it seems I'm overdoing it I'm not. I caught a whiff of an exploded lithium battery
and my breath was IMMEDIATELY gone! Be careful!


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## koala (May 10, 2007)

U need full comprehensive house/property insurance for it to work. Most of us won't bother.


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## mdocod (May 10, 2007)

My father in law, wanting to charge his lithium ion cells that I set him up with in an ultrafire light, inadvertently put some 17500s in my vanson speedy box. 

I checked voltage and it looked ok, so I charged em in the DSD and they seemed to work fine... but then a few cycles later, he took the cells out, something was wrong. the shrinkwrapping was slightly damaged from heat. We aren't sure if the flashlight was accidentally clicked on in his pocket and allowed to run down in an insulated environment, or if the wrong charger in the past had done something to the cells and set them up for failure... either way, I'd say we are lucky that they didn't go into thermal runaway and blow that aluminum body into the next dimension. The cells are sitting idle in a semi-discharged (~3.2V) state out in the garage away from flammables. I haven't worked up the nerve to try recharging them, I'll probably drop them off at a recycling collection soon.


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