Batteries that have expired can be used, but a pre-use test is required.
Household batteries are generally divided into two types, one is disposable batteries, mainly alkaline batteries, super heavy duty batteries, and button batteries. The other is secondary batteries, mainly nickel-metal hydride batteries, and lithium-ion batteries. I will make a simple analysis and description for these two kinds of batteries. If you read this article, I believe it will be useful for you to use batteries.
#1-Can a Disposable Battery Still Be Used After Its Expiration Date?
The electrical performance standards corresponding to disposable batteries are IEC60086-1 and IEC60086-2. According to the IEC60086 standard, there is no provision for the validity period of disposable batteries in the standard. But disposable dry batteries do have an expiration date. Usually you see best before:….date on the LABEL of the battery, or you will see several numbers directly on the LABEL of the battery, such as 0528, or 05-2028, which means it is best to use it before this time.
IEC60086 does not have regulations on the validity period, but there are regulations on the proportion of electrical performance degradation after a battery is stored for one year. Usually, the electrical performance of alkaline batteries should not be lower than 90% of new batteries after one year of storage at room temperature, carbon batteries should not be lower than 80% after storage at room temperature for one year, and lithium button batteries should not be lower than 98% after storage at room temperature for one year. This is because the battery has self-discharge, so the battery storage has not been used, and the electrical performance will decline. IEC60086 only stipulates the range of decline ratio after 1 year, there is no range of decline ratio after 2 years, 3 years, or even longer. According to the long-term data comparison of our manufacturers, the electrical performance of the battery declines rapidly in the first year of storage, and the decline rate is very slow in the second and third years.
So for batteries that have been stored for a long time, after we get them, first look at the date, is it still within this range? If it is still within this range, and there is no rust on the surface of the battery, and no leakage is found, it can be used. If the validity period has passed, but no rust is found, and no leakage is found, it is recommended to take a voltmeter to measure the voltage. If the voltage is above 1.2V, it can still be used. But you need to pay attention to two problems when using it. First, new and old batteries cannot be mixed. Second, choose batteries with similar voltages.
#2-Can the Secondary Battery Still Be Used After Its Expiration Date?
The secondary battery only talks about how many times the battery is used, and there is no validity period. The high-capacity general cycle charge and discharge times is 300-500 times.
There is no specific time limit for nickel-metal hydride batteries, but nickel-metal hydride batteries that are left for too long will have the following two effects:
1. If the produced NiMH battery is placed for 1-3 years before use, the internal electrolyte of the battery may be passivated. The specific performance is that the actual capacity is much lower than the nominal capacity. Generally, it can be recovered after 3-4 charge-discharge cycles. original performance.
2.Ni-MH batteries that have been stored for 3 years can also be used, but their lifespan is short. When recharging a battery that has been stored for a long time, it is best to use a low-current charger to charge it, which is equivalent to slowly waking up the battery.
3. If the produced Ni-MH battery is placed for 4-5 years, there will be over-discharge (the Ni-MH battery itself will self-discharge). If the battery is stored at a voltage lower than 1.0V for a long time, the Ni-MH battery will be permanently damaged and cannot be repaired. On the contrary, if the battery is used normally for 4-5 years, and the number of charging and discharging times is not large (the number of times the nominal life is not exceeded), in theory, it can still be used normally for 4-5 years.
