🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1juf3rINNlbd@rave.larc.nasa.gov> kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov (Scott Dorsey) writes:
>I would bet that the charger you saw was for standard carbon-zinc cells.
>The carbon-zinc batteries can be recharged somewhat, but they won't work
>terribly well afterward and you can only get one or two rechargings out
>of them.  Rechargers for these batteries were quite popular back before
>NiCds and alkaline cells came out.

It was claimed to be suitable for zinc-carbon, alkaline or nicad : 
the charge rate was actually chosen to suit nicads, but appeared to
have been designed for a peak current of 120mA. This gave an 
average of around 40mA, and very long charge times (especially
since alkalines are much higher capacity than nicads).
It was claimed that the intermittent charge current was kinder to
nicads too, reducing the formation of shorts between electrodes.

>
>If you charge an alkaline battery, your chances of rupturing it are
>pretty good.  I've never seen one literally explode, but I have seen
>them split down the side and spray causic goo around.  Don't do it.  It's
>not worth it.
>--scott

Quite true : I had several split or leak, though none were very
hazardous - just minor dribbles, and the charger has a cover over it.
Of course, this might not have happened if I'd charged for a week
or two at a lower rate ...

Why do they leak ? Is it thermal expansion, or gas evolution as
with Nicads ?

-adrian

-- 
Adrian Godwin : agodwin@acorn.co.uk : adrian@fangorn.demon.co.uk : g7hwn@gb7khw
ObDisclaimer  : I believe this rubbish .. don't imagine that anyone else does.