Fabrication of HgZn3 material and their application as electrodes in mercury oxide-zinc batteries

Abstract

The mercury oxide-zinc battery is a primary electrochemical cell that operates in an alkaline environment. It finds applications in many disciplines such as science, technology, medicine, and field equipment. In order to improve resistance to electrode corrosion in an alkaline environment and to maximize discharge efficiency and battery capacity, it is necessary to amalgamate zinc. This work described a technique for producing HgZn₃ amalgamated zinc. The research findings indicated that a mass ratio of 3:1 between Zn and HgCl₂ is the most favorable for producing the highest quality amalgamated product to be utilized as the negative electrode in a mercury oxide-zinc battery. The material underwent characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and electron microscopy (SEM). The battery depleted to a voltage of 0.9 V during a span of roughly 209 hours, resulting in a capacity of 2823 mAh.