general purpose batteries > zinc vs alkaline

Alkaline technology is more sophisticated, lasts longer and delivers superior high-power performance.

Performance Comparison
Let's compare alkaline batteries with zinc batteries with relation to their parts.

Parts	Zinc Carbon	Zinc Chloride	Alkaline
Anode (-)	Zinc (the can itself)	Zinc (the can itself)	Zinc Powder
Cathode	Manganese Ore	Manganese Dioxide	Electrolyte MnO2 and Graphite
Electrolyte	Ammonium Chloride – Acid	Ammonium Chloride – Acid	Potassium Hydroxide – Base
Operating Temperature	-15*C to 45*C	-15*C to 45*C	-20*C to + 54*C
Freshness Guarantee	1 year	3 years	5 - 7 years

 

Storage Comparison

Zinc	Alkaline
Zinc can corrode, cell dries out and performance is reduced.	Alkaline cells have excellent corrosion protection as heat and humidity resistance secure the seal.
Zinc can participate in a chemical reaction and be consumed. Leakage is also frequent.	Greater amounts of active material can be stored in alkaline batteries compared with zinc batteries.
On heavy discharge, there is volume change in electrodes forcing the electrolyte out of the cell.	Heavy discharge does not affect performance.

 

Performance

Zinc	Alkaline
Can of Zinc battery is the anode	Alkaline cells have dedicated anode collector
High Energy ouput	High energy output
Zinc batteries do not store well	Alkaline batteries store well
Life span is short	Alkaline batteries have longer life
Freshness guaranteed up to 1-3 yrs.	Freshness guaranteed up to 7 years*
Moderate low temperature performance	Superior low temperature performance

 

Alkaline vs Zinc performance chart