Nowadays, there are more and more products that need electricity, such as various electronic devices, electric toys, audio-visual equipment, digital products, communication products, etc. These products have one thing in common: they need electricity. In order to meet this necessary demand, batteries play a very important role.
Batteries are divided into many types, including rechargeable and non-rechargeable, and there are batteries with different types of internal materials, such as alkaline batteries, carbon-zinc batteries, lithium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc.
Among them, alkaline batteries occupy a very important position. This article will introduce alkaline batteries from all angles. You can understand the framework structure of this article through the following directory. Click the directory to slide to the part you want to browse first.
Table of Contents
What is Alkaline Battery?
Alkaline batteries are also called alkaline zinc-manganese batteries. They are non-rechargeable disposable batteries. Alkaline batteries are generally cylindrical, with zinc as the negative electrode, manganese dioxide as the positive electrode, and alkaline potassium hydroxide solution as the electrolyte.
Alkaline batteries are widely used in a series of electronic devices such as electrical appliances, toys, and wearable products.
History of Alkaline Battery
The first alkaline battery can be traced back to the end of the 19th century, when Swedish scientists invented the first alkaline battery, laying the foundation for the development of alkaline batteries.
In the early 20th century, alkaline batteries were commercialized in Sweden and entered the United States in 1946, but at this time, the commercialization of alkaline batteries was not successful because although it was durable, it was very expensive and contained cadmium, a heavy metal that would have adverse effects on the ecological environment and human health, so this type of battery was gradually eliminated.
In the 1950s, the modern alkaline zinc-manganese battery was invented by Canadian engineer Lewis Urry. It has higher energy density, longer life, and better cold resistance, and has become a commonly used battery in daily life.
Structure of Alkaline Battery
The structure of alkaline battery is not complicated. It mainly consists of six parts: positive electrode, negative electrode, electrolyte, diaphragm, current collector, and shell.
Among them, the positive electrode is made of manganese dioxide as the active material, and graphite can play a conductive role. The negative electrode is a mixture of zinc powder and electrolyte, in which zinc powder is the active material. The electrolyte uses potassium hydroxide solvent. The diaphragm can separate the inside of the battery to prevent short circuit. The current collector is composed of steel shell and copper rod/copper needle. Finally, the shell of the alkaline battery is made of steel material, which can play a good role in protecting the battery.
How Alkaline Battery Works
The working principle of alkaline batteries is mainly the redox reaction of zinc. When the battery is connected to the circuit to power the device, the zinc at the negative electrode releases electrons, which turn into zinc ions. The released electrons flow to the positive electrode and react chemically with manganese dioxide to form manganese oxide. At the same time, hydroxide ions move to the positive electrode through the electrolyte and combine with zinc ions to form zinc hydroxide.
Alkaline Battery Classification
There are many types of alkaline batteries. According to the electrode materials and electrolytes, they can be divided into alkaline zinc-manganese batteries, zinc-mercury batteries, rechargeable alkaline batteries, etc. Among them, the most commonly used alkaline battery is zinc-manganese battery.
Alkaline batteries can also be divided according to model and size, which can be divided into AA, AAA, C, D, 6LR61, and LR23A.
Market of Alkaline Battery
The market for alkaline batteries is very broad, and there is a lot of room for future development.
According to statistics from authoritative websites, the market for alkaline batteries exceeded US$8.84 billion in 2023, and is expected to reach a staggering US$14.43 billion by 2033.
The main reason for the large-scale growth of alkaline batteries in the next decade is the popularity of consumer electronic devices, which directly promotes the market growth of alkaline batteries.
Currently, the largest market for alkaline batteries is in North America, with a market share of nearly 50%. Followed by Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. It is expected that alkaline batteries will usher in the fastest growth in the Asia-Pacific region in the future.
For detailed information about the alkaline battery market, please click here.
How to Choose Alkaline Battery
The main reference for choosing alkaline batteries is the needs of the device. Different devices have different requirements for battery life, power consumption, current, and voltage.
Secondly, consider the size of the battery. Different devices have different requirements for AA, AAA, C, D, 6LR61, and LR23A.
The choice of alkaline batteries also depends on the brand. Try to choose well-known brands and products from trustworthy manufacturers. These products are relatively more compliant and guaranteed in terms of quality and safety.
Finally, if you don’t know how to choose a battery for your device, we also recommend that you consult relevant experts directly.
Proper use of Alkaline Battery
The battery stores electrical energy, so we cannot use it at will, otherwise it may cause safety hazards or have a negative impact on the battery’s service life. When using alkaline batteries, please follow the following points:
1. Correct installation
There are special grooves on the device to install the battery, and the battery must be installed according to the correct positive and negative poles. The battery and the groove will be marked with the two symbols “+” and “-“. “+” represents the positive pole, and “-” represents the negative pole. In addition, the positive and negative poles can also be judged by the shape of the battery. The protruding end of the battery is the positive pole, and the smooth end is the negative pole.
2. Do not mix and match
If the device needs to use multiple batteries, use batteries of the same model and brand. Do not mix batteries in one device.
3. Correct storage
For devices that are not used for a long time, the battery should be taken out and stored to avoid storage for too long, causing the electrolyte in the battery to leak out and damage the device. (Generally, qualified batteries will not have leakage problems)
Applications of Alkaline Battery
Alkaline batteries can be used in many fields.
1. Household appliances
Alkaline batteries are often used in various household appliances to provide stable power for these devices, such as remote controls, electronic clocks, doorbells, digital cameras, electronic scales, etc.
2. Electric toys
Many electric toys need to be driven by batteries, such as small racing models, robots, etc. Alkaline batteries are an ideal choice for electronic toys with their high energy density and long life.
3. Outdoor electronic devices
Power supply is very important in outdoor activities. For example, flashlights, GPS locators and other electronic devices are often used in camping, cycling, and hiking. They all need reliable alkaline batteries to provide power to ensure the smooth progress of outdoor activities.
4. Medical instruments
In the medical field, many instruments also need batteries, such as blood glucose meters, stethoscopes, thermometers, etc.
How to Recycle Alkaline Battery
With the development of technology, most alkaline batteries are now mercury-free. That is, they do not contain heavy metals that may harm the environment. Therefore, for mercury-free alkaline batteries, you can dispose of them as household waste. Of course, we recommend that you put the batteries in a sealed bag before discarding.
For the few alkaline batteries that contain mercury, we recommend sending them to a special recycling point.
Problems and Challenges of Alkaline Battery
Although alkaline batteries have made great progress and technological innovation, they still face some problems and challenges, such as self-short circuit, leakage, combustion, and explosion.
1. Self-short circuit problem
The self-short circuit phenomenon of the battery is caused by the chemical reaction inside the battery. It usually manifests as the battery is out of power. At this time, if we use a multimeter to test, we will find that the voltage of the self-short circuit battery is close to 0, and the battery power is almost exhausted at this time.
Generally speaking, self-short circuit batteries will be detected during the manufacturing process, and they rarely flow into the market. But although consumers rarely see this kind of battery, its problem still exists.
One obvious feature of self-short circuit batteries is that there will be a slight bulge on the positive electrode of the battery, and other appearance features are no different from normal batteries.
2. Leakage problem
Although alkaline batteries are becoming more and more mature in manufacturing technology, due to the packaging process they use, the battery may produce gas due to chemical reactions during use, resulting in leakage. In addition, the electrolyte of alkaline batteries is potassium hydroxide. If the seal is not tight during the manufacturing process, leakage may also occur.
3. Explosion problem
Battery explosion is the most serious problem. Batteries produced by regular battery manufacturers will undergo multiple safety tests before leaving the factory, so they generally do not explode. However, if there are some non-compliant, counterfeit, or inferior batteries, there may be a risk of explosion.
The Future of Alkaline Battery
The future of alkaline batteries is mainly reflected in their technological innovation, such as increasing capacity, increasing service life, and improving heavy-load output performance.
1. Increase capacity
The core issue that must be concerned about in the battery manufacturing process is the capacity of the battery. Today’s alkaline batteries are standard parts. They have fixed sizes and models, and the shape differences are not large, so the capacity of the battery will not change much.
However, if battery manufacturers can improve the battery process, change the internal structure of the battery, reduce the thickness of the steel shell, and increase the active substances inside the battery under the premise of meeting international standards, they may eventually increase the capacity of the battery.
Of course, technical improvements in battery materials are also a way to increase battery capacity.
2. Increase service life
The electrodes of alkaline batteries have the phenomenon of self-corrosion, which affects the life of the battery. To increase the battery life, the problem of self-corrosion must be solved.
For example, mercury-free zinc powder can be used to alleviate the self-corrosion of zinc, or inorganic corrosion inhibitors can be added to the battery.
3. Improve the heavy-load output performance of the battery
Many electronic devices have higher standards for the performance of alkaline batteries under heavy load conditions. Batteries not only need to be discharged at a constant resistance, but also need to be discharged at a constant current.
If you want to improve the heavy-load output performance of the battery, you must reduce the problem of the internal resistance of the battery. The internal resistance of the battery mainly comes from the battery contact resistance and the resistance of the internal material of the battery itself. If the problem of internal resistance of the battery can be solved through technology, the performance of the battery can be significantly improved.
This article shares the knowledge about alkaline batteries for you, hoping to give you help and inspiration.
About the Author
Liteway is a professional manufacturer and supplier of alkaline batteries, carbon-zinc batteries, and lithium batteries based in Ningbo, China.
We have more than 20 years of manufacturing and exporting experience in the battery field, providing battery manufacturing and OEM/ODM services to customers all over the world. We are a co-manufacturer for many battery brands and have been unanimously recognized by our partners during the cooperation process.
Alkaline batteries are one of our battery series. If you want to learn about our Alkaline batteries, please click here.
If you want to cooperate with us and let us manufacture and customize batteries for you, please contact us.
