Morning guys,
I know I am always pondering these rather hypothetical questions, but I was wondering if one could extend the life-expectancy of a cell by removing the load when not in use.

I found the teledyne Q&A website Teledyne Analytical Instruments | FAQ, and it says specifically:
>Tell me about the life expectancy for an R-17 or R-22 sensor.
>
>The life expectancy of an R-17 or R-22 oxygen sensor is a function of the
>integral of the amount of current that flows through the sensor. The sensor
>is designed to nominally last three years at 20.9% O2 at room temperature.
> ...


The load resistor would close the circuit and hence allow current to flow continously, therefore removing the load when the cell is not in use might extend its life. Now I blieve the temp-compensation circuit might still allow for some current to flow, although I'm not sure how the temp-compensation circuit actually works. Internal ion-diffusion inside the cell also lets the cell age, but this could be a lot less than an external load.
This may not be a factor when diving a lot, but when only diving once in a while, could it make a difference?



Joerg