Shelf Life -- a tid bit

[MManley]

I compared the Maxell batts to some IKEA batts and the IKEA ones are significantly heavier than Maxell ones.
Does this mean they are lithiums?

They're both AA batts btw.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

nope..... maxell never made lithium 1.5v cells... could be just heavy duty ones.....

 

[MManley]

That would make sense since they look rather unique.

 

[Jake.t]

as alkaline's lose their charge over time you can help slow this down by putting them in a ziplock bag/baggy then put them in the fridge .photohoer were they kept in a cool place

 

[Lynx_Arc]

nimh and lithium batteries can supply a lot of current. If you have a DMM you could do a flash amps test on them put it on the 10 or 20 amp scale insert the leads in the correct hole and connect to the battery making sure to measure quickly the current as it is essentially a dead short. nimh and lithium can supply 8+ amps on the test while alkalines are a lot less and heavy duty probably won't even do 2 amps.

 

[jhellwig]

as alkaline's lose their charge over time you can help slow this down by putting them in a ziplock bag/baggy then put them in the fridge .photohoer were they kept in a cool place

One of the big threes websites says that puting in the fridge does nothing for them. I think maybe duracell.


Here it is. http://www.duracell.com/care_disposal/care.asp?id=61&

 

[hank]

I go through the earthquake stash every year and pull out the batteries that are reaching their "use by" date -- and sometimes find some that are years past it. And I do use them, but try to always take them out of the light before I put it down. Most of my 'emergency box' lights don't have batteries in them -- just a few with lithium Energizer AAs and glow-in-the-dark keyfobs, and the little 9v PALights that have a find-me dim glow.

Just had too many alkalines leak over the years to ever trust them for very long unattended.

I have also regularly each year found one or two packages of alkalines -- still a year or more before their "use by" date -- that have one or more cells leaking inside the blister pack.

The reputable companies so far have always sent me some kind of coupon and a return envelope to get the batteries back -- though I'm sure I must be on their list of cranky customers. Explaining it's the earthquake box, and will serve the whole block when the dark happens, usually seems to convince them it's not just something mysterious about my house. I just buy a lot of batteries and put them aside for a long time.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

One of the big threes websites says that puting in the fridge does nothing for them. I think maybe duracell.


Here it is. http://www.duracell.com/care_disposal/care.asp?id=61&

the general consensus is only in hot climates does putting batteries in the fridge make a lot of sense. If the temp is below 85 where they are stored you are not going to make them last much longer than leakage will undo them IMO. I would rather alkalines last only 7-8 years in storage and never leak that be able to last 10-12 years and leak.

 

[Mr Happy]

That Duracell link just says refrigerating batteries is not worth it.

Here's the thing: low temperatures slow down chemical reactions. So do batteries leak because the chemicals dissolve through the casing, or do they leak by physical seepage? But low temperatures slow down physical processes too.

On balance, I don't see that refrigerating batteries in a sealed container is likely to do any harm. If you want them to last 20 years before use, it will help.

But to get the best out of alkaline batteries you should use them while they are as fresh as possible. Storing them for ages before use is silly. So refrigerating alkaline batteries is just pointless, not harmful.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

the leaking problem are with chemicals and seals also. temperature changes can affect sealing and speed up reactions and getting something too cold or too hot can expand/contract things so seals can fail. I would be careful about putting batteries in a fridge in sealed containers because of condensation. If there is any moisture in the air when the container is sealed water will condense and be on the batteries. If you had a vacuum sealer it would be good. I think another issue is the history of a battery before you buy it. Where is it made at what time of year and what temperatures has it been subjected to in storage along the way. It is quite possible batteries have been shipped in hot trucks and/or stored in hot warehouses along the way. IMO alkalines should only be considered a 5 year battery for storage sake as far as being dependable and you should expect a 5% failure rate due to bad cells and leakage even though the figures are lower perhaps it would make sure you have a good supply of batteries.

 

[jhellwig]

Putting them in the fridge could also cause the seals to contract. Not a problem when you put it in. When you pull it out though the seals are going to warm up first, trapping pressure when they cell completely warms up. This will probably cause a leak.