Primary Battery Types
A primary cell is any kind of electrochemical cell in which the electrochemical reaction of interest is not reversible, so used in disposable batteries. The most common primary cells today are found in alkaline batteries. Unlike a secondary cell, attempting to reverse the reaction in a primary cell via recharging is dangerous and can lead to a battery explosion. A related difference is that primary batteries use up the materials in one or both of their electrodes, while, ideally, the reversibility of the reactions in a secondary cell allows them to be restored to almost the same fully charged condition on each recharging.
RMC has been recycling primary batteries at our Ministry of Environment Licensed, ISO 14001 facility for nearly 18 years. RMC is the largest recycler of this type of battery in North America, recycling millions of pounds per year. Our process ensures recovery and recycling of over 90% of the primary battery. No materials are landfilled, and no recovered materials are shipped outside of North America. Further information is available in our Client Area.
Some of the most common types of primary batteries include:
Alkaline
Zinc Carbon
Lithium
Zinc Air
Silver Oxide
Mercury Oxide
Additional information, including photographs can be found in our Client Area. If you are a first time user, please Register with RMC to gain access to this information.
