Zinc–manganese dioxide battery

30-second summary

Zinc–manganese dioxide battery

These batteries are the most commonly used worldwide in flashlights, toys, radios, compact disc players, and digital cameras.

There are three variations of zinc-manganese batteries:

• the zinc-carbon battery,
• the zinc chloride battery,
• the alkaline battery.

All provide an initial voltage of 1.55 to 1.7 volts, which declines with use to an end point of about 0.8 volt.

Zinc-carbon Battery

The zinc-carbon battery, also called the Leclanché cell, is a traditional general-purpose dry cell. Zinc–carbon batteries were the first commercial dry batteries developed from the technology of the wet Leclanché cell. This battery provides a direct electric current from the electrochemical reaction between zinc and manganese dioxide (MnO₂) in the presence of an electrolyte.

Its name comes from the cathode, which is a mixture of powdered carbon (usually graphite powder) and manganese (IV) oxide (MnO₂), which is packed around a carbon rod.

The zinc-carbon cell has an electrolyte of ammonium chloride or zinc chloride, which is dissolved in water. Zinc-carbon batteries today have been mostly replaced by more efficient and safe alkaline batteries. It produces a voltage of about 1.5 volts between the zinc anode, which is typically constructed as a cylindrical container for the battery cell, and a carbon rod surrounded by the cathode that collects the current from the manganese dioxide electrode. The electrolyte consists of a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride containing roughly 20 percent zinc chloride. Note that the name “zinc-carbon” is slightly misleading as it implies that carbon is acting as the reducing agent rather than the manganese dioxide. 

In the United States, the alkaline zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn- MnO₂ ) has generally replaced all the Leclanche cells. Compared to the modern alkaline cells, Leclanche cells have the following disadvantages:

• Leclanche cells are not suitable for high-rate continuous discharge
• The capacity of Leclanche cells is much lower than modern alkaline cells
• The leakage phenomenon is common in Leclanche cells.

Zinc-chloride battery

The zinc-chloride battery is a type of primary battery developed from a zinc-carbon cell. It is frequently referred to as a heavy-duty, extra-heavy-duty, super-heavy-duty, or super-extra-heavy-duty battery. Zinc-chloride cell is an improvement on the original zinc-carbon cell, using purer chemicals and giving a longer service life and steadier voltage output as it is used and offering about twice the service life of general-purpose zinc-carbon cells, or up to four times in continuous-use or high-drain applications.

Alkaline Battery

An alkaline battery (IEC code: L) is a type of primary battery that provides direct electric current from the electrochemical reaction between zinc and manganese dioxide (MnO₂) in the presence of an alkaline electrolyte.

The alkaline battery gets its name because it has an alkaline electrolyte of potassium hydroxide (KOH) instead of the acidic ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) or zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) electrolyte of the zinc–carbon batteries. Other battery systems also use alkaline electrolytes, but they use different active materials for the electrodes.

The primary alkaline battery is a widely used product, which is essential for powering many portable devices, such as power tools, radios, toys, and remote controls. The most common size of alkaline battery is the well-known AA battery. Alkaline batteries are most commonly used in portable devices that have low current drains, are used only intermittently, or are used well away from an alternative power source, such as in alarm and communication circuits where other electric power is only intermittently available.

Other Types of Batteries

The following list summarizes notable electric battery types composed of one or more electrochemical cells. Four lists are provided in the table. The first list is a battery classification by size and format. Then, the primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) cell lists are lists of battery chemistry. The third list is a list of battery applications. The final list is a list of different battery voltages.

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