LSD (low self discharge) battery question

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

I used to have plain vanilla nimh batteries that I used in my digital camera, but I kept grabbing it and finding that the batteries had gone dead.
More recently, I've purchased "LSD - Low Self Discharge" NIMH batteries, which somehow keep about 70% of their full charge even after a full year.
You often see these sold as "precharged" rechargeable batteries at the store.

LSD makes a HUGE difference - I feel comfortable using these in a flashlight, for TV remotes, - things where previously I would not have considered using rechargeables.

However, I've never been able to find details on what they actually do to these batteries that makes them LSD - low self discharge. In other words, what retards the energy loss? Have they been able to apply this to other battery types, such as Lithium Iron Phosphate? If anyone knows of a link to information about this, I'd really like to know! (& thanks)

Some info about LSD batteries:
LSD battery info

 

[mindless1]

They have a thicker separator in them to slow down self discharge. This takes up a little space so will be a little lower capacity due to that.

Nice link because of that testing table, though now quite dated info, their chemistries might have been tweaked since then.

I started out using Eneloop LSD NiMH but am now more often buying the Tenergy Centura in bulk when amazon puts them on sale. Their AA and AAA seem to be a "tiny" bit larger diameter than Eneloops but it's rarely a problem.

Bought a pack of Eneloop Pro once. What a waste. They quickly developed high internal resistance, capacity dropped substantially in only a few charges. Granted I'd been using them in a pocket flashlight that drains at about a 1C rate.

Most lithium chemistry batteries already have very low discharge. LiFePO4 is a bit higher than some, around 4%/month, but that's still pretty reasonable for the typical devices they're used in, since their primary benefit is # of recharge cycles and if you need something with higher # recharge cycles, odds are it won't be long till they're drained from the load rather than self discharge.

Like everything else, cameras improved over the years. I suspect your camera is very old? I had my first digital camera, using 2 x AA several years ago, and even on freshly charged NiMH, couldn't get 20 shots from it before the battery was drained. I should have bought the Canon that took 4 x AA instead! Also years ago, eventually replaced it with a camera taking a proprietary, smaller Li-Ion battery and it can take... I forget, maybe 300 pics per charge, and it's ready to take a few dozen pics (at most, my typical usage pattern) after sitting for months, don't have to recharge it first.

Granted a lot of the difference is the newer camera with more modern electronics, uses a lot less power but it's a world of difference how much more advanced its features are too... and it's not a high end or pro grade camera at all, just a decade old, little travel cam that fits in my pocket. Sony HX10V.

The USB recharge port on it broke, which was really annoying as that's also the easiest way to get the pics off, but an aftermarket charger was cheap, and it's not a big deal to take the SD card out, or they now make SD cards with wifi to transfer pics if I wanted to bother getting one but they are also much lower capacity and I like having the higher capacity for videos.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

>>I should have bought the Canon that took 4 x AA instead!

Yep, I try to stick with models that take 4 AA batteries, because they seem to last so long. Plus, I like to be able to buy a package of AA alkaline batteries on the road, in a pinch.
Right now my favorites are the Fujitsu HR-3UTCEX(4B) batteries, made in Japan. Says min 1900 mAh, and up to 2,100 recharges. I've read that the ones made in Japan are much higher quality than the ones from China.

All I need are about 3,000 of these, and I can build my own electric car!

 

[mindless1]

China is catching up, if/when their contract calls for higher quality. For most practical purpose, I find the made in China, Tenergy Centura a better value because they ended up costing only half as much on sale, while giving maybe 90% of the performance. Eneloop made-inJapan, and the Fujitsu made in Japan, come from the same factory, generations with the same specs are the same battery wearing a different wrapper.

On the other hand, there's still plenty of crap generic brands coming from China, even some popular ones on amazon like EBL.

You couldn't get me to go back to a AA powered camera. The gains are just too great with something more modern, even something costing only $100 today.

 

[ElFenix]

i like my AA powered pentax