Can lithium batteries be recharged?
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If you are talking about this one (CR2032) definitely NO.
Usually replace them, Woolworths, Coles, etc.
Cheers Bob
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Yes they can - see, for instance:
MAXELL 3V ML2032 Lithium Rechargeable LIR2032 CMOS Battery ML 2032
But the rechargeable version is usually installed as a backup only and is recharged in-situ from the main power source. If your device does not support a rechargeable battery then the trouble of removing it to recharge makes the exercise impractical.
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Hi All
I stand corrected. See what happens when you don’t keep up. I was not aware that re-chargeable 2032s were available. I still don’t think THAT battery is re-chargeable though.
Cheers Bob
For the price of a 2032 who would bother.
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2032 is the physical size - you’re still right that that specific one can’t, as it’s a CR2032. ML2032’s are the rechargeable ones.
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Thanks for your replies, I learned that it is not rechargeable and I will consider buying some of these batteries for backup.
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Just adding my 2c on this too in case anyone reads this in future 
Our CR2032 is definitely NOT rechargeable similarly with some of the other Lithium Manganese Dioxide based cells, there are a few reasons for this. Even being lithium manganese dioxide, the battery is surprisingly stable and likely won’t explode which is a good thing, but if you look at the mechanics of how the exchange of electronics within the various electrochemical reactions in detail, you’ll notice that you need to charge the battery extremely slowly in order to avoid causing the cell to fail (this will still have an effect on its total lifespan but as Jeff said, if the rechargeable versions are charged in-situ such as in an RTC very slowly that’s one of the only practical reasons to try and determine a way to charge this kind of cell)
https://biz.maxell.com/en/rechargeable_batteries/ML_17e.pdf
Picking up a replacement when they run dead and correctly disposing of the original is almost always the best option here. Particularly given they’re quite inexpensive.
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They probably will last so long you will not be able to find the spares when needed.
Cheers Bob
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I don’t need to buy a spare battery, do I? Maybe it will work for years?
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Lance.
How many years has that one been in place ??
Cheers Bob
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Depends on the application and the environment that the battery is exposed to (as well as the draw on the battery but this can be quite tricky to measure), but generally, they do tend to last longer than other components on the board such as the delicate ribbon cables if exposed to high temperatures, vibration, potential water damage, etc in terms of the actual lifetime of the cell.
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