<p>You should dispose of them.</p>

<p>A LiPo battery has three parts: the anode (negative plate), the cathode (positive plate), and electrolyte (sandwiched in between the two plates). Electricity is formed by electrons moving from the cathode to the anode through the electrolyte (which helps the electrons flow).</p>

<p>The electrolyte <a href="http://learningrc.com/puffed-lipos/" rel="noreferrer">decomposes over time</a>, which results in the formation of elemental lithium and oxygen. Some of it combines into lithium oxide and sticks to the anode and cathode, but some of the oxygen remains a gas. This gas is what causes the puffiness you see.</p>

<p>Oxygen likes to burn, so if you use a puffy battery, the likelihood that the moving electrons will ignite the oxygen is much higher, so once it becomes puffy, you should stop using it and dispose of it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-19T01:09:26.847Z
@RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket; I'm interested in the answer to this as well. You should post it as a question
Galaxy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-19T08:19:12.677Z
@Galaxy Your wish is my command: https://drones.stackexchange.com/questions/1457/in-what-situations-do-puffy-batteries-pose-a-risk-of-ignition
Amazon Dies In Darkness
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-15T06:23:55.787Z
Great answer.  Does the potential for ignition exist during storage, charging, or use (or more than one of those)?  Is it more prevalent in one of those conditions?
Amazon Dies In Darkness
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-14T21:13:23.037Z
2020-05-17T23:07:48.157Z
2020-05-17T23:07:48.157Z
gparyani
<p>Some of my LiPo batteries got &quot;puffy&quot; after a few months. Is it still safe to fly them, or should I safely dispose of them?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/RnlJd.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RnlJdm.jpg" alt="Photo of puffy 1s lipo battery" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-31T20:19:32.843Z
Defining "safely" is a really hard challenge. I'd fly that battery so long as I could quickly extinguish a fire. Charging it, though, is a different question of safety. Those things can spontaneously combust and LiPo bags don't do a lot of good.
Kenn Sebesta
<lipo-batteries><batteries><battery-safety><safety>
Is it safe to fly LiPo batteries after they get "puffy"?
David O.
# Is it safe to fly LiPo batteries after they get "puffy"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-14)

Some of my LiPo batteries got "puffy" after a few months. Is it still safe to fly them, or should I safely dispose of them?

[![Photo of puffy 1s lipo battery](https://i.sstatic.net/RnlJdm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/RnlJd.jpg)

**Tags:** lipo-batteries, batteries, battery-safety, safety

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Defining "safely" is a really hard challenge. I'd fly that battery so long as I could quickly extinguish a fire. Charging it, though, is a different question of safety. Those things can spontaneously combust and LiPo bags don't do a lot of good.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-14. Score: 22 | Accepted answer

You should dispose of them.

A LiPo battery has three parts: the anode (negative plate), the cathode (positive plate), and electrolyte (sandwiched in between the two plates). Electricity is formed by electrons moving from the cathode to the anode through the electrolyte (which helps the electrons flow).

The electrolyte [decomposes over time](http://learningrc.com/puffed-lipos/), which results in the formation of elemental lithium and oxygen. Some of it combines into lithium oxide and sticks to the anode and cathode, but some of the oxygen remains a gas. This gas is what causes the puffiness you see.

Oxygen likes to burn, so if you use a puffy battery, the likelihood that the moving electrons will ignite the oxygen is much higher, so once it becomes puffy, you should stop using it and dispose of it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Great answer.  Does the potential for ignition exist during storage, charging, or use (or more than one of those)?  Is it more prevalent in one of those conditions?  
> **username_3**: @RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket; I'm interested in the answer to this as well. You should post it as a question  
> **username_4**: @username_3 Your wish is my command: https://drones.stackexchange.com/questions/1457/in-what-situations-do-puffy-batteries-pose-a-risk-of-ignition  

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