zinc chloride cell

The zinc chloride battery is a variation of the zinc-carbon battery, which was invented in 1866. It is a general-purpose dry cell battery that uses a zinc alloy as the anode and impure manganese dioxide as the cathode. The electrolyte is a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride containing zinc chloride.1

The zinc chloride battery is a modern adaptation of the zinc-carbon battery, patented in 1899. It offers greater continuous service, especially in motorized devices, and largely eliminates the need for ammonium chloride due to improved plastic seals. These batteries typically provide an initial voltage of 1.55 to 1.7 volts, which decreases to about 0.8 volts with use.1