Carbon zinc batteries and alkaline batteries are commonly used in our daily life, and how do you know which to choose? The main difference between a zinc battery and an alkaline battery is the type of electrolyte used in both batteries. Zinc batteries are mostly composed of ammonium chloride while the alkaline batteries use potassium hydroxide. In this article, we will take a closer look at the main differences between both batteries and thereby help you make an informed decision.

Alkaline Battery

Alkaline batteries are recommended for their high quality. The capacity of an alkaline battery is 7 times greater than a normal carbon-zinc battery, and it provides higher current output. Alkaline batteries have a higher energy density and longer shelf-life. This kind of battery is a perfect choice for the applications such as shavers, cameras, electrical toothbrushes. What's more, alkaline batteries have great performance in extreme temperatures. They can handle colder weather, which isn’t the case for zinc batteries. Alkaline batteries are the most expensive, however, compared to zinc cells, the difference in price has reduced in the last 20 years as production has increased.

Carbon Zinc Battery

Although carbon-zinc batteries don’t have the length of shelf-life alkaline batteries have, they have the characteristics of portable and durable, good performance, leak-proof, and they are widely used worldwide. This type of battery has low energy consumption, thus it is a reliable source of power for appliances that consume little energy, such as TV remote control, toys, clocks, calculators, and torches. Compared to alkaline batteries, carbon-zinc batteries have a much cheaper prcie.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, the capacity of both batteries are different, an alkaline battery delivers more energy than a carbon-zinc battery, and it is suitable for high current discharge electrical appliances. And carbon-zinc batteries have a relatively high internal resistance, and this makes them more suitable for low current drain devices. In a word, you can choose the battery according to your applications.