A silver oxide battery is a primary cell with high energy density. Typically available as button cells, these types of batteries are primarily used in small appliances. A silver oxide battery has a silver cathode and a zinc anode. Energy is created through zinc oxidation with the silver oxide.
What are silver oxide batteries used for?
Silver oxide batteries are used in a range of applications, from NASA and Military applications to watches and calculators. Because of the relatively high cost of materials, however, they are most commonly found in high-end products such as designer watches. However smaller button size batteries can be cheap to produce. These types of button cell batteries may also be used to power hearing aids, calculators, and medical aids.
Silver oxide battery advantages
These types of batteries are more effective than both lithium and alkaline batteries. A silver-oxide battery provides a high energy output, around twice that of alkaline button cells. Unlike most batteries, the energy discharge remains constant until the battery is fully depleted. Additionally, there are no flammability issues with silver-oxide batteries.
Silver oxide battery disadvantages
Being a primary cell battery, the biggest disadvantage of a silver oxide battery is that it cannot be recharged.
High price: Due to the high price of silver, silver oxide batteries are more expensive than other battery types like zinc-carbon or alkaline batteries.
High self-discharge rate: Silver oxide batteries quickly lose their charge while not in use due to their high self-discharge rate.
Limited capacity: Compared to other battery types, such as lithium-ion batteries, silver oxide batteries have a smaller capacity, which means they could not last as long between charges or replacements.
Once the chemical reaction producing electricity is done, it cannot be used again. These types of batteries are also not effective in low temperatures. They are made with costly materials, which can negatively impact the price. A silver oxide battery also has a lower energy density than some counterparts, such as a zinc-air battery and the alkaline batteries mentioned above.