Primary battery

Primary cells are made in a range of standard sizes to power small household appliances such as flashlights and portable radios.

About 15 billion primary batteries are thrown away worldwide every year, virtually all ending up in landfills.

Due to the toxic heavy metals and strong acids and alkalis they contain, batteries are hazardous waste.

[5] China became the largest battery market, with demand projected to climb faster than anywhere else, and has also shifted to alkaline cells.

In other developing countries disposable batteries must compete with cheap wind-up, wind-powered and rechargeable devices that have proliferated.

[6][7] Common types of secondary cells (namely NiMH and Li-ion) due to their much lower internal resistance do not suffer the large loss of capacity that alkaline, zinc–carbon and zinc chloride ("heavy duty" or "super heavy duty") do with high current draw.

Attempts have been made to make simple cells self-depolarizing by roughening the surface of the copper plate to facilitate the detachment of hydrogen bubbles with little success.

Inside the cell the anode is the electrode where chemical oxidation occurs, as it donates electrons which flow out of it into the external circuit.