53 - Alkaline manganese dioxide batteries

Abstract

This chapter discusses the two types of alkaline manganese dioxide batteries: primary batteries and secondary. These batteries are available from numerous suppliers. Specification of all the batteries is provided by their manufacturers. Varta supply several ranges of alkaline manganese primary batteries and button cells. The button cells are 1.5 V and cover the capacity range 18-300 mA h. The cylindrical cells cover the voltage range 1.5-30 V and the capacity range 40-600 mA h. The main applications of these batteries are in photography, hearing-aids, and pocket calculators. Certain manufacturers supply rechargeable alkaline manganese cells and batteries; for example, Union Carbide offer the Eveready rechargeable alkaline battery range. These batteries use a unique electrochemical system, are maintenance free, hermetically sealed and operate in any position. They are designed for electronic and electrical applications where low initial costs and low operating costs, compared with nickel-cadmium cells, are of paramount importance. Present types of Eveready battery available from Union Carbide include 4.5 and 7.5 V batteries using D-size cells, and 6, 13.5 and 15 V batteries composed of G-size cells.