Alkaline Batteries

Batteries have become one of the most important and most

used equipments these days. Batteries are used where power
supply is not regular, where low voltage is required (i.e. lower
than supply voltage); watches, mobiles and many other small
equipments that require lesser voltage, mainly run on battery.
The main advantage of battery are that, they can be charged
and used if the capability of supplying power reduces. Cells are
the unit of battery, many cells complete a battery. There are
mainly two types of battery,
1. Lead-acid battery and
2. Alkaline battery.

The first Alkaline battery was brought into market by

Eveready Battery, Toronto. It was developed by Lew Urry who
was attached to this company as a chemical engineer.
Lew Urry developed the small alkaline battery in 1949. The
inventor was working for the Eveready Battery Co. at their
research laboratory in Parma, Ohio. Alkaline battery last five to
eight times as long as zinc-carbon cells, their predecessors.
Alkaline Batteries
In any kind of battery, electrolysis is the main method that
supports the running of a battery. Electrolysis basically means
chemical reaction while conducting current through a mixture.
Electrolysis is used not only for making battery, but for various
purposes also. These battery are introduced to overcome the
weight and mechanical weakness of the lead plates. The main
working principle of the alkaline battery is based on the
reaction between zinc (Zn) and manganese dioxide (MnO2).
Alkaline battery is so named because the electrolyte used in it
is potassium hydroxide, a purely alkaline substance.
Advantages of Alkaline Battery
1. This has high energy density.
2. This battery performs equally well in both continuous and
intermittent applications.
3. This performs equally well in low and as well as high rate of
discharge.
4. This also performs equally well at ambient temperature as
well as at low temperature.
5. Alkaline battery has also low internal resistance.
6. It has enough longer self life.
7. Leakage is low in this battery.
8. It has better dimensional stability.
Disadvantage of Alkaline Battery
 Practically this type of battery does not have any
disadvantage accept its high cost.
Construction of Alkaline Battery
The body of the battery is made of a hollow steel drum. This
drum contains all materials of the battery and it also serves as
cathode of the battery. The positive terminal of the battery is
projected from the top of this drum. Fine grained manganese
dioxide (MnO2) powder mixed with coal dust is molted to the
inner peripheral surface of the empty cylindrical drum. This
molded mixture serves as cathode mixture of the alkaline
battery. The inner surface of the thick layer of cathode mixture
is covered with paper separator. The central space, inside this
paper separator is filled by zinc powder with potassium
hydroxide electrolyte. The zinc serves as anode and its powder
form increases the contact surface. The paper separator
soaked with potassium hydroxide, holds the electrolyte in
between cathode (MnO2) and anode(Zn). A metallic pin
(preferably made of brass) is inserted along the central axis of
the alkaline battery to collect negative charge. This pin is called
negative collector pin. This pin is in touch with metallic end
sealed cap. There is a plastic cover just inside the Metallic end
sealed cap and this plastic cover electrically separates positive
steel drum and negative end cap of alkaline battery.

In an alkaline battery cell, the

powder zinc serves as anode, manganese dioxide serves as
cathode and potassium hydroxide serves as electrolyte. First
half reaction is,

Second half reaction is,

Overall reaction,
An alkaline
battery cell is rated for 1.5 V. A new non discharged alkaline
cell shows a voltage of 1.50 to 1.65 V. The
average voltage under load condition may be 1.1 to 1.3 V. AA
alkaline cell is generally rated for 700 mA.
There are various types of alkaline battery depending on
various parameters.
Depending on the composition of the active materials of the
plates, there are four types of battery. They are as follows,
1. Nickel iron (or Edison).
2. Nickel- cadmium (or Nife).
3. Silver zinc.
4. Alkum battery.
Depending on the method of assembling, these battery are
classified as sealed and non-sealed cells or battery.
Depending on the design plates, alkaline battery are classified
as enclosed pocket and open pocket type battery.

Use of Alkaline Batteries

Various types of these battery are there and different battery
are used for different purposes. Like, nickel iron battery are
used for propulsion of industrial trucks and mine locomotives.
In air conditions also, this type of battery are used. Another
type of alkaline battery is Nickel-cadmium battery, they get
used in commercial airlines, military aeroplane for initiating
main engine. So, we can say that the alkaline battery are
mainly used in moving vehicles and industrial purposes.
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