Can a battery still be charging with very low charging current?

[patchiemocorro]

Hello everyone

I just would like to ask if the battery can still be charge even if the charging current is lower than the recommended slow charging rate.

Like for example:

A 40mAh NiMH is recommended to be charge at 0.1C for 10-14 hours.So the charging current will be 4mA.What if the charging current is 200uA, can the battery still be charge with this low charging current?

I am also aware of a trickle charging (C/300 of the battery's capacity),but this doesnt really charge a battery.It only maintains a battery's full capacity when its not in use.But what if the charging current is lower than the recommended slow charge (0.1C),but higher than the trickle charge,can it still charge a battery?For me, it dont matter if how long will it take for the battery to be charged, as long as the battery is charging.Please help me figure this out.Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[chuckey]

.1C is based on the the thermal effects not overheating the cell. C/300 is used to offset the chemical degradation action- most types of cells exhibit some sort of sel discharge. A current greater then this will charge up the battery and not over heat it, though it may shorten its life if the cell goes over voltage.
Frank