Once, nickel-cadmium (NiCad) was the only suitable battery for portable equipment from wireless communications to mobile computing.
Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries emerged in the early 1990s. Today, lithium-ion is the leading battery chemistry. lithium is the lightest of all metals, has the greatest electrochemical potential. It provides the largest energy density for weight, typically twice that of NiCad, and its self-discharge is less than half the NiCad rate. Li-Ion cells cause virtually no environmental harm when disposed.
Many Li-Ion manufacturers remain silent about aging, but some capacity deterioration occurs after a year, whether the battery is used or not. Maximum current life expectancy is in actual practice about 700 full recharges, or five years, whichever comes first. You can recharge a NiMH battery up to 1,000 times. However Li-Ion batteries are rapidly improving, so their life expectancy may be approaching that of NiMH. Store your battery (whatever its chemistry) in a cool place (ideally at about 15oc) when not using it, and keep it about 40 persent charged when it remains idle to maximize its life. It is important to protect any battery from extremes of heat or cold.
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