# How the Modern Alkaline Battery Was Invented

> A 1957 patent from Union Carbide that defined the construction of the long-lasting alkaline battery, replacing older zinc-carbon designs.

- **Patent:** US 2960558
- **Original title:** Dry cell
- **Owner:** Union Carbide Corp
- **Granted:** 1960
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 25
- **Field:** energy, consumer_electronics

## What it does

This patent describes a specific chemical and physical structure for a dry cell battery. It focuses on the arrangement of the anode and cathode materials to improve energy density and shelf life. By using a specific electrolyte and separator configuration, it allows the battery to maintain a steady voltage over a longer period compared to the older Leclanche cells that were standard at the time.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover lithium-ion or other rechargeable battery chemistries.
- Does not cover the internal circuitry of the devices the battery powers.
- Does not cover button-cell batteries with different structural sealing methods.

## The clever bit

The innovation was in the structural geometry of the cell, which allowed for a much larger surface area of the active materials, significantly reducing internal resistance.

## Real-world examples

1. Standard AA and AAA alkaline batteries
2. Eveready Energizer batteries

## Why it matters

This invention was the foundation for the Eveready Energizer brand. It moved the world away from unreliable, short-lived batteries toward the high-performance alkaline cells that powered the portable electronics boom of the 1970s and 80s.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How the Modern Alkaline Battery Was Invented cover?

A 1957 patent from Union Carbide that defined the construction of the long-lasting alkaline battery, replacing older zinc-carbon designs.

### Who owns patent US 2960558?

Union Carbide Corp owns this patent, granted in 1960.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 2960558 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 25 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This invention was the foundation for the Eveready Energizer brand. It moved the world away from unreliable, short-lived batteries toward the high-performance alkaline cells that powered the portable electronics boom of the 1970s and 80s.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover lithium-ion or other rechargeable battery chemistries.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2960558/alkaline-battery-dry-cell

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US2960558

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How Lithium-Cobalt Battery Cathodes Were Invented](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4302518/lithium-ion-battery-cathode) — This 1981 patent details the chemistry behind the lithium-cobalt oxide cathodes that power almost every modern smartphone, laptop, and electric vehicle.
- [Early Lithium-Ion Battery Design Using Chalcogenides](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4009052/rechargeable-lithium-battery) — This 1977 patent describes an early rechargeable battery design using lithium as one electrode and titanium disulfide as the other, a key step towards modern lithium-ion technology.
- [Improving Lithium Battery Life with a Built-in Lithium Source](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10593988/electrochemical-cell-for-lithium-based-batteries) — This patent describes a method for building rechargeable lithium-based batteries with a special extra lithium source electrode inside that helps the main battery parts work better and last longer by giving them an initial charge of lithium ions.
- [How Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes Are Made](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4357215/lithium-ion-cathode-goodenough) — A foundational 1982 method for creating the materials used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries by removing ions at low temperatures.
- [How a Two-Layer Coating Protects Lithium Battery Anodes](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11271251/battery-cell-with-anode-protective-layer) — This patent describes a lithium battery cell design that uses two special protective layers on the anode to stop harmful growths called dendrites and make the battery last longer and work better, especially in solid-state batteries.