zinc-manganese dioxide battery

[AndrewT]

In their next round of testing, the battery with the manganese-enriched electrolyte performed over 5,000 cycles while retaining 92% of its initial storage capacity of 285 mAh.

Is this a new rechargeable battery about to come to market that will last nearly forever?
Or will the battery manufacturers buy out the rights to manufacture and bury it?
Will Alkaline Batteries Replace Lithium-Ion Batteries? | News content from Machine Design

 

[wwenze]

zinc-manganese dioxide battery - also known as the standard alkaline battery

And li-ion already has higher energy density than alkaline

 

[AndrewT]

At what price?
Replacing any rechargable batteries is expensive. Replacing lithium batteries is even more expensive.
Turning an "ordinary" zinc non rechargable battery into a rechargable version that potentially could outlast other rechargables by a factor of ten or more, will very significantly reduce costs.
Will the battery manufacturers allow this to happen, or will they bury it (the new technology)?

 

[Ron E]

I just worked on yet another aluminum flashlight that I had placed alkalines in and they leaked, corroding the aluminum badly enough that I had to drive the cells out with a metal rod. THe thing I like about NiMH is that I have never had one leak all over. I have some cheap Low Self Discharge batteries (Northtech from Menards) that are already quite good with the cycle life - 5 years from a $1 battery is pretty good.

If the new rechargeable alkalines are as leak-free and cheap, I might give them a try, otherwise no.

 

[Max Headroom]

Back to the future - nickel iron battery information

Dan.

 

[wwenze]

About 5 years for the LSD NiMH in my flashlight too. Held its charge all this while with occasional usage for looking at unlit cabinets, only recharged once recently because my mom didn't understand how to switch it off.

They should make this standard issue for emergencies and army. Alkaline seldom survive the second time of the annual army callback.

Also, replaceable rechargeable batteries? *Looks at iPhone*

 

[Ron E]

Back to the future - nickel iron battery information

Looks like a crude fanboy site, but is really an advertisement of sorts, with info mostly copied from wikipedia.
"Hosted by the Nickel-Iron Battery Association"

They stopped being used because of high self discharge and lowish charge/discharge efficiency. Their ruggedness is a feature that may outweigh those disadvantages in certain applications. Off-grid survivalist type situations are one.

 

[Mario Pankov]

The nearest future I know of is the fluorine battery, it`s in the last stages of development with current capacity being substantially higher than a comparable lithium. Scientists say it can have about 5 times higher energy density that a comparable ( by size ) lithium cell and doesn`t need lithium.

 

[dangus]

I just saw an item about a 1912 vintage electric car with nickel iron cells that lasted well into the 1980s. Admittedly, the car was only driven regularly for about 40 of those years.