Many are frankly surprised and upset when buying a new battery they find out that it is inoperative ... Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not uncommon, but it happens not because the product is of poor quality, but because the battery has simply expired. In order not to fall into such unpleasant situations, it is useful to know where to look at the expiration date when buying and how to store products correctly so that they are better preserved.
Content
Expiration date depending on technology
Given the type of batteries, production technology, the shelf life of power supplies can vary significantly. But, for the same type of elements, it is the same for all manufacturers.
Salt batteries
Salt batteries are often used for low-power technology, they are considered the simplest in production technology. When producing salt power sources, manufacturers use manganese or zinc electrodes connected by a salt bridge. The electrolyte is ammonium chloride.
Under optimal storage conditions, such products retain their original performance for no more than 2 years. The “older” the production date, the worse the element will work.
Alkaline batteries
Alkaline products are of high quality, long operational period, which determines the great popularity of such power sources. Alkaline products, more familiar to the consumer as alkaline, contain an electrolyte made on the basis of potassium hydroxide. The electrodes are made of zinc or manganese.
Batteries of high power have a long shelf life, which with the right approach is at least 5 years. With longer non-use, the capacity gradually decreases.
Lithium batteries
For equipment operating at high power, lithium power supplies are designed. In their production, the main component is lithium, manufacturers make the anode from different materials. Sophisticated production technology allowed to increase the duration of the storage period up to 10 - 12 years.
After the indicated period, the products begin to weaken. However, if the storage conditions were not “comfortable”, the loss of capacity begins to occur much faster. That is why, not knowing anything about where the power source was stored and how, it’s not worth the risk of buying and buying “old” batteries.
Silver zinc
Power supplies in the production of which zinc is used to create the anode, and silver is used for the cathode, are called silver-zinc. The electrolyte in them is alkaline and is a solution of sodium or potassium.
A distinctive feature of such tablet batteries is their long shelf life, which is determined by 15 years. For this period, the products must not lose the capacity declared by the manufacturer.
Air zinc
Based on zinc, cathodes for air-zinc galvanic cells are made, oxygen acts as an anode. Alkali metal hydroxide is used to create an electrolyte.
Such items may not be stored for very long. At the request of manufacturers, this period is 2 years, sometimes a little more. However, if the tightness is broken, that is, the tape is peeled off, the product automatically starts to “work” from contact with oxygen.
Important! If the product has been in operation for at least several hours, it will still be gradually discharged, no matter how correctly it is stored.
Where is the expiration date written on ordinary batteries?
To find out what is the “age” of a conventional battery, you need to carefully examine the packaging and the product itself. Shelf life is usually prescribed there, information is a set of numbers and letters.
The first two or one digit indicates the estimated year until which the power source can survive. Next month. For example, August is marked with the number “08” or one “8”. When using letters, “A” is marked for January, then the designation corresponds to the number of the month and the order of letters of the alphabet.
The last two-digit number corresponds to the day. On the batteries themselves, the expiration date can be written on a black background, the first letters of the month and year are indicated in English letters. For example, MAR 2019, means until March 2019.
Where the shelf life is indicated on tablets
In order to understand how much a battery-presumably should be stored, you need to find the appropriate date on the package. The manufacturer does not indicate such information on such small items. On the edge of a small cylinder, you can find only the date of manufacture of the element and then not all manufacturers.
The tablets have the peculiarity of being very quickly discharged if stored in high humidity or in a hot room. So the loss of capacity reaches 30% in a fairly short time.
Note! Buying power supplies without a specified shelf life is undesirable. Most likely - this is a skillful fake and it will not last long.
Famous Brand Battery Life
The popularity of batteries of well-known brands consists of many indicators and one of them is considered to be the high shelf life of products:
- Duracell - a manufacturer advertising a product often claims that the shelf life is long - 10 years. However, this information is true only for silver, lithium power supplies. If the product is an alkaline, salt type product, then the terms will not differ much from the goods of another brand, that is, they will correspond to 2 and 5 years.
- Energizer - ordinary pinky, finger batteries are stored for no more than 5, 2 years, if they are alkaline or saline. Lithium up to 12.
- GP - also delivers products to the market whose shelf life does not differ from those declared by other well-known brands. Those that are prescribed for different types of products in accordance with the material used in the production.
When purchasing ordinary batteries, a crown, a tablet, you should not think that if you observe the storage conditions, then the dates specified by the manufacturer can be significantly extended. This is not true. In the best case, it is rarely possible to maintain performance even for the few years that are stated on the package. The reason is that creating comfortable conditions for storing such goods is not always possible.
Under what conditions is it better to store batteries
When buying a battery, sometimes it turns out that the product turns out to be “unnecessary” for a while. In order to preserve its operational characteristics as much as possible, during storage you need to follow simple rules:
- do not open the package;
- Do not put near other batteries;
- Keep away from chemicals, contact with metal;
- ambient temperature should be room temperature;
- room humidity should not go beyond the permissible values.
Only in this way, you can save the product without losing its main characteristics.
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