Why NiCd Batteries Die

Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries were widely used in many different applications because, like we already mentioned,they are rugged and can be deeply discharged. But there’s a reason they’re not as widely used anymore. They have a “memory”issue.

The term memory comes from “cyclic memory,” meaning that nickel-cadmium batteries remember how much energy was discharged previously and only deliver that much on a subsequent discharges.

With new advances in battery technology, cyclic memory has been eliminated from many types of modern batteries.And in the 1990’s a new type of nickel battery-nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH)- was produced and marketed as memory free. Many companies replaced the NiCd batteries in their devices with the new NiMH batteries; however,it turns out that NiMH batteries have some “memory” issues as well

(although,not as bad as NiCd batteries).

Memory occurs in nickel-cadmium(NiCd) batteries if they are overcharged because this can lead to crystalline formation.And overcharging occurs if the battery is left in the charger for an extended length of time or is repeatedly recharged without an occasional full discharge.

Luckily, there are two methods to reverse this crystalline formation to bring the battery back to life and we can help with that. Contact Us