Primary Zinc-Air Batteries

This battery type has been phased out in most applications because of the problems of disposal. The product of the reaction is liquid mercury which has a tendency to pool and can create a toxic hazard in landfills. Most countries have banned the use of mercury batteries in consumer applications for this reason. Other battery systems such as lithium primary batteries, zinc air, and alkaline batteries have to a large extent replaced mercury batteries. 

McGraw Edison Corporation, Edison Battery Division, PO Box 28, Bloomfield 07003, New Jersey Primary batteries, zinc-air secondary batteries, nickel-iron, nickel-cadmium, zinc-air. 

Varta Batteries Ltd, 4 Lansing Square, Suite 237, Willowdale, Ontario, M2J ITl Primary batteries, zinc-alkaline manganese dioxide, mercuiy -zinc, carbon-zinc Leclanchd, magnesium types, lithium types, silver oxide-zinc, zinc chloride Leclanchd, zinc-air. 

Varta SpA, Via Teitulliano 70, 20137 Milan Primary batteries, zinc—alkaline manganese dioxide, mercury—zinc, carbon—zinc Leclanche, magnesium types, hthium types, silver oxide—zinc, zinc chloride Leclancti6, zinc—air, secondary batteries, alkaline, nickel—iron, nickel—cadmium, silver—zinc, silver—cadmium. 

SAFT Corporation of America, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 10020, New York also, 107 Beaver Court, Lockeysville, Maryland Primary batteries, zinc-alkaline, zinc-alkaline manganese dioxide, carbon-zinc Leclanche, lithium types (lithium-lead bismuthate, lithium-silver chromate) secondary batteries, nickel-cadmium, iithium-copper oxyphosphate, lithium-thionyl chloride, zinc-air, thermal-cells, water-activated batteries. 

Other alkaline primary cells couple zinc with oxides of mercury or silver and some even use atmospheric oxygen (zinc—air cell). Frequendy, zinc powder is used in the fabrication of batteries because of its high surface area. Secondary (rechargeable) cells with zinc anodes under development are the alkaline zinc—nickel oxide and zinc—chlorine (see Batteries). 

There are two major types of household batteries (a) Primary batteries are those that cannot be reused. They include alkaline/manganese, carbon-zinc, mercuric oxide, zinc-air, silver oxide, and other types of button batteries, (b) Secondary batteries are those that can be reused secondary batteries (rechargeable) include lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and potentially nickel-hydrogen. 

D—Leclanche Zinc anode Carbon, silver chloride, and air Primary and secondary Zinc—air batteries, carbon—zinc batteries, and silver chloride-zinc batteries... 

In Fig. 17 we have presented the current-voltage and the power characteristics of 12-cells battery from the cells type ZV300. It must be reminded that, when the zinc anode in the primary zinc-air cells is discharged, the cell is out of operation. By this, the air electrodes, which in principle can operate for a long time, are lost. In order to avoid this inconvenience, mechanically rechargeable zinc-air cells were developed [14]. The essential feature of the mechanically rechargeable zinc-air cell is that the air electrodes are used many times. 

A variety of primary zinc-air cell and batteries are designed with capacity ranging from 100 Ah to 3300 Ah, operating at nominal currents from 2 to 40A at temperatures in the range +40 -t- -40°C. Mechanically rechargeable zinc-air cell are also developed and tested in experimental electric cars and scooters. 

The primary zinc—air cells have captured the hearing aid market, but the rechargeable zinc—air battery is still in the developmental stage. 

As well-known, Mn02 finds wide-spread applications in the classical Leclanche cell in which, put simply, Zn is oxidized to ZnO by Mn02. Zn is a cheap anode material which is also employed in the Zn-air battery.7 This intriguing battery concept represents a primary battery but exhibits similarities with a fuel cell.63 64 69 Table 6 gives an overview on zinc-based primary elements. 

Zinc/air batteries are produced in button shape. Their energy density at 20 °C is 340 Wh kg-1, which is the highest energy density of the primary battery technologies (see Table 2) however, their applications are limited because their performance is not independent on the environmental conditions (because oxygen is obtained from the environment). Their nominal voltage is 1.5 V, which is comparable with other battery technologies (see Table 2). 

These are non-rechargeable batteries (so-called primary batteries, while rechargeable ones are known as secondary batteries) which utilize a metallic zinc anode, an aqueous solution of KOH as electrolyte and a porous carbon-based air diffusion cathode. The discharge semi-reactions are the following at the anode ... 

The term primary battery is used to describe any single use battery system. These include, amongst others, alkaline-manganese, zinc-carbon, lithium, mercuric oxide and zinc-air chemistries. Primary batteries are lightweight and convenient, relatively inexpensive and eonsequently are used by households throughout the world to power portable electrical and electronic devices, radios, torches, toys and a whole host of other every day appliances. 

---