Alkaline battery workers

Adams RG, Harrison JF, Scott P (1969) The development of cadmium-induced proteinuria, impaired renal function and osteomalacia in alkaline battery workers. Q. J. Med. 38 425-442... 

Studies assessing mercury vapor exposure have suggested various ratios relating the concentration of mercury in the air (in g/m3) to the levels of mercury in the urine (in g/L). Such estimates include 1 1 (Bell et al. 1973), 1 1.22 (Roels et al. 1987), and 1 2.5 (Lindstedt et al. 1979 Rosenman et al. 1986). Urinary metallic mercury levels ranging from 0.05 to 1.7 g/L were detected in the urine of workers exposed to mercury vapor (>0.1 mg/m3) this elemental mercury represented <1% of the inorganic mercury content of the urine (Y oshida and Yamamura 1982). With increased exposure to mercury vapor (0.47-0.67 mg/m3), the amount of elemental mercury in the urine increased. A "rough" correlation between levels of metallic mercury vapor in air and mercury levels in blood and urine was established by Rosenman et al. (1986). They associated levels of 50 g/100 mL in blood and 250 g/L in urine with a mercury level in air of approximately 0.1 mg/m3 (8-hour TWA), and 28 g/100 mL in blood and 100 g/L in urine with a TWA of 0.05 mg/m3. Roels et al. (1987) found a correlation between daily mercury vapor exposure and blood or urine mercury levels in 10 workers employed for at least 1 year at an alkaline battery plant. The mercury levels in the air and the pre- or post-workshift levels of blood and urinary mercury correlated well (r=0.79-0.86 [blood] and r=0.70-0.80 [urine]). Based on a ratio of... 

In acid electrolytes, carbon is a poor electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution at potentials where carbon corrosion occurs. However, in alkaline electrolytes carbon is sufficiently electrocatalytically active for oxygen evolution to occur simultaneously with carbon corrosion at potentials corresponding to charge conditions for a bifunctional air electrode in metal/air batteries. In this situation, oxygen evolution is the dominant anodic reaction, thus complicating the measurement of carbon corrosion. Ross and co-workers [30] developed experimental techniques to overcome this difficulty. Their results with acetylene black in 30 wt% KOH showed that substantial amounts of CO in addition to C02 (carbonate species) and 02, are... 

Other workers gradually went to less concentrated alkali (30-40% KOH) than found in Bacon s and P W s batteries. For the space shuttle program, United Technology Corporation (UTC-Power) developed a battery of alkaline fuel cells where 35% KOH immobilized in an asbestos matrix was used as the electrolyte. The electrodes contained a relatively large amount of platinum catalysts, so that at a temperature of 250°C it was possible to work at very high current densities, of up to 1 A/cm. ... 

Eurukawa and co-workers [81] state that PANI is an interesting material because it is not only an ECP but is also a good material to use as an electrode of a secondary battery with aqueous or non-aqueous electrolytes. PANI polymerised from aniline in an aqueous acid solution is converted to several forms with different electrical properties by acid/base treatments and oxidation/reduction. The as-polymerised form gives high electrical conductivity ( 5 S/cm). It becomes insulating when treated with an aqueous alkaline solution or is reduced electrochemically in an aqneons acid solution. Reduced-alkali-treated PANI is also insulating and is unstable in air its colour changes from white to blue upon exposure to air. PANI doped with electrolyte anions is obtained by electrochemical oxidation [82]. It was found in this work to be a new conductivity form (o = 5.8 S/cm). Recently, a secondary lithium battery with a reduced alkali pellet as the cathode, and non-aqueous electrolytes has been developed as a power source of memory back up and a maintenance-free power source combined with a solar battery. 

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