Proctor and Gamble (makers of Duracell) have announced a new Duralock technology for their Duracell batteries. They now guarantee a 10 year shelf-life with reduced chance of leaking.

Duracell Duralock Announcement

Of course, lithium batteries still probably have a longer shelf-life, less chance of leaking and more power (however at a higher price).

That would be nice if true. I have become very frustrated with alkaline batteries leaking. I do my best to remove batteries from all of my gear before stowing away, but that makes me slightly less likely to use the gear.

While not so outdoor-related, it has frustrated me that I could not find a multimeters that does not require screws to be removed to access the batteries, so this week I put lithium AAA batteries in all of them to prevent them from being destroyed by leaking alkaline batteries.

Unfortunately, Lithium batteries can spontaneously combust, even primary Lithium batteries.

For emergency flashlights Alkaline batteries will yield a much longer run-time than Lithium *if* you can find an unregulated / direct-drive flashlight. It'll get pretty dim, but dim is better than black on a dark trail...

Battery manufacturers are allergic to datasheets or seemingly specs of any kind, but as I recall Alkaline and Lithium primary AA cells have about the same Ah rating, and that alkaline cells already have a shelf life over five years. But if Duralock improves the can against leakage that alone is good news.

This is news to me. References, please.

My experience with primary lithium batteries has been far superior to my use of alkalines. I no longer use alkalines in anything I remotely value. I understand that rechargeable lithium batteries can be finicky.

Primary lithium batteries can "vent with flame" and there are documented cases. However, I'm not aware of any time where it's happened with a single-cell device. It happens when there are two or more cells with significantly different levels of charge.

It's rare but documented with CR123A cells. Its possible but I would think very hard to induce with AA cells.

Lithium primaries also perform significantly better in high-drain devices.

One article on a Lithium AA explosion

Candlepowerforums has a forum area titled "Smoke and Fire, Hot Cells and Close Calls - The dangerous side of batteries"

The reports of primary combustion/explosion are much fewer than secondary failures but they do happen. Fortunately primary Lithium cells are mostly smaller than secondary so the results aren't so bad (Tadiran makes larger primary Lithium cells but they're rare by comparison and a different Lithium chemistry)

Because lithium C & D batteries are not available (at least readily available), any measurable improvement in the C & D alkalines is, in my view, a big deal.

As to AAAs & AAs, I'm fairly certain I'll be staying with the lithiums. However, as to the C & D's in my battery drawer (for several flashlights, radios & lanterns) --- I'll be looking to phase-in the Durlocks.

I'd be surprised if Eveready doesn't soon release an equivalent.

I wonder how well Eneloop batteries do against leakage?

The newer white Eneloops ought to retain 50% charge for five years which is not far from the rated shelf life of today's Alkaline primaries. Five years is long enough to consider for lifeboat / emergency / survival applications.

Eneloops might be an (expensive) way to avoid leakage damage to (even more expensive) devices without the hazard of Lithium cells. It might be worth considering in a high-humidity / outdoor environment.

PS. My main worry with Lithium cells is poorly-made counterfeits. There's a profit in using cheap cans or cutting corners on material purity, which matters a lot in Lithium cells.

PPS. Tenergy makes LSD (Low Self Discharge) C, D and 9v secondary cells. These might be applicable in kits that get refurbished annually, at least until Duralock is established.

Eneloops are not expensive, they are about the same price as a lithium primary.

Eneloops (and other rechargeables) do indeed have a high front end cost, although that can be lessened if you shop carefully. But do the math. You can recycle that Eneloops battery something like a thousand times. Including the cost of a quality recharging device, that works out to pennies per cycle. Basically, Eneloops don't leak.

Alkaline batteries are expensive, obsolete dinosaurs. You throw money away when you purchase them.