Shelf Life – the amount of time a battery can sit unused without being supplemented with a charge (in the case of secondary batteries) or disposed of (in the case of primary batteries).
All batteries self discharge when they are not in use, the rate of this depends on the battery chemistry. Alkaline based rechargeable batteries, for example, self discharge at a rate of under 1% per month while nickel iron can lose 20% in the same time period.
Knowing the shelf life of secondary batteries is important because their overall life span can be increased if they are recharged at the right time.
Long shelf lives are also an important aspect for certain applications where a battery is not in use for long periods or only occasionally used such as in smoke alarms or remote controls. However, short shelf lives are accepted in some applications where the battery chemistry can offer some other asset such as better cycle life, better specific energy, a better ability to operate at a particular temperature, etc, etc.
Leave A Comment?