Do lithium 9V's drain slowly?

[George]

Hey Guys, I have a couple of Energizer lithium 9V's laying around from one gig to the other.  I'm wondering if these batteries slowly drain between uses (lets say 3 months).  Thanks for any tips!

[guysonic]

Hey Guys, I have a couple of Energizer lithium 9V's laying around from one gig to the other.  I'm wondering if these batteries slowly drain between uses (lets say 3 months).  Thanks for any tips!

Lithium primary batteries have 10 year shelf life.  characteristic is more power run time available if used in one 24 hour session period, but less power if put to rest for days between uses. 

these batteries keep up voltage as they are used, then voltage drops quickly near end of life, so battery indicator is not too good for knowing expected life with multiple session use. 

Suggest keeping eye on battery gage for signs of voltage dropping near end of life so not to be cut short unexpectedly.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

The wikipedia entry for lithium batteries is a must read..

They start aging from the day they are made and they age much faster if stored fully charged or in warm places.  They are best stored in the fridge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery

[smokydays]

I actually store regular alkalines in the fridge as well, right beside the 35mm film.

[guysonic]

The wikipedia entry for lithium batteries is a must read..

They start aging from the day they are made and they age much faster if stored fully charged or in warm places.  They are best stored in the fridge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery

Found similar info in a recent battery trade mag article. 

The better to store at <40% capacity charge tip is NOT about lithium non-rechargeable (primary) batteries, but IS for rechargeable lithium cells.  Capacity loss storing at 40% charge per year isa low <6%; at full charge capacity degrades by as much as 20% in the same time period at room temps.

I'll update site with more facts/tips about rechargeable lithium cells in a few weeks on page: www.sonicstudios.com/batsys98.htm