Mercury Battery A mercury battery (also called mercuric oxide battery or mercury cell) is a nonrechargeable electrochemical battery, a primary

cell. Cathode Mercury batteries use pure mercury (II) oxide (HgO), also called mercuric oxide or a mixture of HgO with manganese dioxide (MnO2) as the cathode. Anode The anode is made of zinc (Zn) and separated from the cathode with a layer of paper or other porous material soaked with electrolyte; this is known as a salt bridge. Reaction The overall reaction for the battery is: Zn + HgO ZnO + Hg

In other words, during discharge, zinc is oxidized (loses electrons) to become zinc oxide (ZnO) while the mercuric oxide gets reduced (gains electrons) to form elemental mercury. A little extra mercuric oxide is put into the cell to prevent evolution of hydrogen gas at the end of life. Electrolyte Sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxides are used as an electrolyte. Sodium hydroxide cells have nearly constant voltage at low discharge currents, making them ideal for hearing aids, calculators, and electronic watches. Potassium hydroxide cells, in turn, provided constant voltage at higher currents, making them suitable for applications requiring current surges, e.g. photographic cameras with flash, and watches with a backlight. Potassium hydroxide cells also have better performance at lower temperatures. Advantages Mercury cells have very long shelf life, up to 10 years and have steady voltage output with highest capacity per size. The mercury cell is used where a relatively flat discharge characteristic is required with high current density. Its internal resistance is low and essentially constant. These cells perform well at elevated temperatures, up to 130F continuous or 200F for short periods. Disadvantages Due to the content of mercury, and the resulting environmental concerns, the sale of mercury batteries is now banned in many countries.

One drawback of the mercury cell is its relatively high cost compared with a carbon zinc cell. Applications Used in hearing aids, calculators, and electronic watches, photographic cameras with flash and watch with a backlight.