OL2.AUG– –SC
Alkaline batteries become reusable
Up to now, alkaline batteries have been strictly throwaway types. Rayovac
Corp. (Madison, WI) has just changed that notion with the first
rechargeable alkaline batteries, called Renewal. The battery, made with a
patented internal construction, combines the traditionally low cost of
alkalines with the rechargeability of NiCd (nickel-cadmium) and NiMH
(nickel-metal-hydride) types. It can be recharged with a specially made
charger from Rayovac, called the Power Station. Unlike a NiCd or NiMH
battery, which must be charged before its first use, the Renewal battery
comes fully powered and ready to use. According to the company, the
battery lasts up to three times longer than a fully charged NiCd on its
initial use. The Renewal battery also has a much slower discharge rate
than either NiCd or NiMH batteries. It can hold its charge for up to five
years, compared to typically three months for a NiCd. And, unlike other
batteries, the reusable alkaline generates peak capacity regardless of the
past usage pattern. NiCds suffer from a memory effect, in that the battery
remembers its past usage cycle and performs only as long as it has it the
past. The table compares characteristics of the Renewal batteries against
other batteries. The Renewal battery has no cadmium and only negligible
amounts of mercury. It can be safely disposed of with household waste in
landfills and incinerators. Rayovac plans to make the Renewal battery
available, beginning this fall, in popular alkaline sizes–AAA, AA, C, and
D. The Power Station chargers will come in two types. One is a portable
wall unit that charges up to four Renewal AA or AAA batteries; the other
is a tabletop unit that charges up to eight Renewal batteries in any
combination of AA, AAA, C, or D sizes. Each Power Station has a computer
chip that monitors each Renewal battery individually to maximize
performance on every charge. Prices will be from $5 to $6 for C and D two
packs or AA and AAA four packs. The Power Stations will cost $15 for the
wall unit and $30 for the tabletop unit. For more information, contact
John Daggett of Rayovac at 608-275-4912, or . –Spencer Chin
CAPTION:
The Renewal battery, available in AA, AAA, C, and D types, brings
rechargeability to alkaline batteries for the first time.
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