Primary zinc-air for portable electronic consumer products

Abstract

The primary zinc-air electrochemical couple is an attractive power source for use in portable electronic consumer products because it has excellent characteristics for several key requirements of this market. Up until now, the use of primary zinc-air in the portable product market has been problematic because abbreviated operating life caused by water transpiration between the electrolyte and the atmosphere precluded consideration for most applications. The development of a "diffusion air manager" technology has addressed this problem making primary zinc-air batteries with operating life suited to portable consumer products possible. A zinc-air battery design incorporating diffusion air manager technology applicable to portable products is examined.