Primary Battery – a battery designed to be used until it is depleted of power and then discarded. Also known as a disposable battery. Common primary battery types (chemistries) are: Zinc Carbon (aka Zinc Chloride) Zinc Air Alkaline Lithium Metal Lithium iron disulfide Lithium-thionyl chloride (LTC) Lithium manganese dioxide (Li-M)…
Positive Terminal – the battery terminal toward which electrons flow through the external circuit when the battery/cell discharges. Marked by a ‘+’ (plus) sign and/or signified by the color red. See terminals for more details, images and diagrams of the various terminal types in use.
Shelf Life – the amount of time a battery can sit unused without being supplemented with a charge (in the case of secondary batteries) or disposed of (in the case of primary batteries). All batteries self discharge when they are not in use, the rate of this depends on the…
Valve Regulated Lead Acid Batteries (VRLA) are also known as Sealed Lead Acid Batteries. Unlike flooded lead acid batteries where the electrolyte is a liquid, VRLA batteries use either: absorbent glass mats impregnated with electrolyte (see AGM batteries) or a silicon based gel electrolyte (see Gel batteries). With no liquid…
Terminals – these are the electrical contacts on the battery where you would connect your electrical device / charger. All batteries have two terminals: Positive terminal – the terminal toward which electrons flow when connected to an device. Usually marked by the symbol ‘+’ and/or the color red. Negative terminal –…
Voltage – the mathematical measurement of voltage is: V (voltage) = I (current) x R (resistance) Voltage measures is the difference in electric potential between the negative and positive terminals of a battery. A larger difference in potential results in a higher voltage. Voltage is determined by the chemical make…
Secondary Battery – a battery designed to be depleted of power, then recharged and used over and over as apposed to a primary battery which can be discharged once and then needs to be disposed of. Secondary batteries are more commonly known as rechargeable batteries. Common secondary battery types (chemistries)…
Reverse Polarity – this is when the positive and negative polarity on the battery is reversed. When connecting a reverse polarity battery to a device, the plug that is factory installed with wires reversed on it by the battery manufacturer will keep you from hooking it up incorrectly. However, if…
Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Battery – these batteries are valve-regulated to release gas in case of excessive internal pressure build-up but are otherwise sealed as opposed to flooded lead acid units which can be opened to top off the liquid electrolyte. SLA products are generally maintenance-free, vibration resistant, leak-proof and…
Pure Lead Acid Battery – a secondary battery with a very high lead purity in the plates of 99.9%. The extreme purity of this battery adds to its cost due to the refining process during manufacture but also to its performance and typical life span. This battery can last approximately…
