5/23/2023 0 Comments Alkaline batteriesWhen reductions in mercury content were mandated by various legislatures, it became necessary to greatly improve the purity and consistency of the zinc. Its purpose was to control electrolytic action on impurities in the zinc that unwanted electrolytic action would reduce shelf life and promote leakage. When alkaline batteries were introduced in the late 1960s, their zinc electrodes (in common with the then ubiquitous carbon-zinc cells) had a surface film of mercury amalgam. It was granted in 1960 and was assigned to the Union Carbide Corporation. Marsal filed US patent (2,960,558) for the alkaline battery. On October 9, 1957, Urry, Karl Kordesch, and P.A. The modern alkaline dry battery, using the zinc/ manganese dioxide chemistry, was invented by the Canadian engineer Lewis Urry in the 1950s in Canada before he started working for Union Carbide's Eveready Battery division in Cleveland, OH, building on earlier work by Edison. Thomas Edison's nickel–iron batteries manufactured under the " Exide" brand, originally developed in 1901 by Thomas Edison used a potassium hydroxide electrolyte.īatteries with alkaline (rather than acid) electrolyte were first developed by Waldemar Jungner in 1899, and, working independently, Thomas Edison in 1901. Īlkaline batteries are used in many household items such as MP3 players, CD players, digital cameras, toys, flashlights, and radios. However, compared to other battery types, the toxicity of alkaline batteries is moderate. Alkaline batteries contain zinc (Zn) and manganese dioxide (MnO 2) (Health codes 1), which is a cumulative neurotoxin and can be toxic in higher concentrations. In Switzerland, alkaline batteries account for 68%, in the UK 60% and in the EU 47% of all battery sales including secondary types. In Japan, alkaline batteries account for 46% of all primary battery sales. Other battery systems also use alkaline electrolytes, but they use different active materials for the electrodes.Īlkaline batteries account for 80% of manufactured batteries in the US and over 10 billion individual units produced worldwide. The alkaline battery gets its name because it has an alkaline electrolyte of potassium hydroxide (KOH) instead of the acidic ammonium chloride (NH 4Cl) or zinc chloride (ZnCl 2) electrolyte of the zinc–carbon batteries. Typically these batteries derive energy from the reaction between zinc metal and manganese dioxide, nickel and cadmium, or nickel and hydrogen.Ĭompared with zinc–carbon batteries of the Leclanché cell or zinc chloride types, alkaline batteries have a higher energy density and longer shelf life, yet provide the same voltage. Size comparison of alkaline batteries (left to right): C, AA, AAA, N, PP3 (9-volt).Īn alkaline battery (IEC code: L) is a type of primary battery where the electrolyte (most commonly potassium hydroxide) has a pH value above 7.
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