Difference Between Protected and Unprotected Lithium-Ion 18650 Battery

Lithium-ion 18650 batteries are a fabulous invention of the 1970s. They are rechargeable cells, mainly used for compact electronic devices, machines, and vehicles. These batteries change the electronic gadget and device world as these batteries enabled the producer to store power in compact and safe units.

Now most gadgets, huge wireless devices, vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries. The lithium-ion in batteries moves from the negative terminal to the positive terminal through an electrolyte, while it is discharging and back to the negative terminal when it is charging.

Protected Lithium-Ion Battery.

Lithium-ion batteries are very powerful consequently should be controlled with care and caution. Protected lithium-ion batteries come with a small circuit combined into the packaging of their cell.

This small circuit prevents serious and dangerous fires. The circuit included in lithium-ion batteries do not let it overcharge itself, short circuit, over-discharge and also controls the temperature of the battery. Protected Li-ion batteries are a much more reliable option for daily usage, especially around the house as it doesn’t cause explosions or fires.

A secure and well-designed protected lithium-ion battery has the following components

Pressure drains 

These batteries have small pressure drains. These drains relieve the pressure of excess gas and prevent batteries from short circuits or expansion.

Short circuit prevention 

It has a security steel hat to interrupt a short circuit. The protection steel shell prevents any discord among batteries or any other impression that may be dangerous.

Multiple protection

Protected batteries have three different kinds of protections that prevent over-heating. Moreover, it protects against over-charging, and over-discharging.

Unprotected Lithium-Ion Battery

Unprotected batteries, as the name itself implies, do not have this small circuit fitted in them which protects against hazards. The circuit is the main part that makes a battery protected.

If it is dropping, then the battery is unprotected and is likely to bursts or fire. However, unprotected lithium-ion batteries do have improved capacity and more current capability as compared to a protected one. Unprotected batteries can heat up, over-charge, or over-discharge.

Differences between Protected and Unprotected Lithium-Ion Battery

As the difference is obvious from the definitions above, the unprotected battery is raw and has no monitoring circuit that guards against dangers, while protected batteries have a circuit installed into the cell packaging which tests the batteries’ temperature and stops expansions, over-heating, etc.

If we analyze the cost, protected batteries are assumed high quality, therefore, they are high in prices as compared to unprotected lithium-ion batteries.

Protected batteries have greater durability whereas unprotected batteries do not last long as they do to overheat or over-charge and lose their functionality. Protected batteries are also reliable when voltage is varying.

In case voltage is high, the protected battery separates itself and saves from any sort of destruction. Moreover, some protected batteries also ensure that they give the rated current and nothing more or less than that. If the current is high, then the protected battery will just depart itself and will not get any damage.