A primary alkaline battery includes a cathode having manganese dioxide and carbon particles, an anode, a separator and an alkaline electrolyte. The carbon particles include expanded graphite particles and non-expanded graphite particles. The expanded graphite particles have a kerosene absorption greater than about 2.7 milliliters per gram.
1. A primary alkaline battery, comprising:
a cathode comprising
manganese dioxide and
carbon particles comprising expanded graphite particles and non-expanded graphite particles, the expanded graphite particles having a kerosene absorption greater than about 3.6 milliliters per gram;
an anode;
a separator; and
an alkaline electrolyte.
2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the expanded graphite particles have a kerosene absorption greater than about 4.0 milliliters per gram.
3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the expanded graphite particles have a kerosene absorption greater than about 4.5 milliliters per gram.
4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the expanded graphite particles have a kerosene absorption greater than about 5.0 milliliters per gram.
5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon particles comprise between about 75% and 25% of expanded graphite particles by weight and between about 25% and 75% of non-expanded graphite particles by weight.
6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon particles comprise between about 60% and 40% of expanded graphite particles by weight and between about 40% and 60% of non-expanded graphite particles by weight.
7. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the non-expanded graphite particles have an average particle size of less than about 40 microns.
8. A primary alkaline battery, comprising:
a cathode comprising
manganese dioxide and
expanded graphite particles having a kerosene absorption greater than about 4.4 milliliters per gram;
an anode;
a separator; and
an alkaline electrolyte.
9. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the graphite particles have a kerosene absorption between about 5 and about 6 milliliters per gram.
10. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the graphite particles have a kerosene absorption between about 5.2 and about 5.6 milliliters per gram.
11. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the graphite particles have a kerosene absorption of about 5.4 milliliters per gram.
12. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the cathode comprises between about 2% and about 10% of expanded graphite particles by weight.
13. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the cathode comprises between about 3% and about 6% of expanded graphite particles by weight.
14. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the cathode comprises between about 80% and about 95% of manganese dioxide by weight.
15. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the cathode comprises between about 85% and about 90% of manganese dioxide by weight.
16. The battery of claim 8 , wherein the cathode further comprises non-expanded graphite particles.
17. The battery of claim 16 , wherein the carbon particles comprise between about 75% and 25% of expanded graphite particles by weight and between about 25% and 75% of non-expanded graphite particles by weight.
18. The battery of claim 16 , wherein the carbon particles comprise between about 60% and 40% of expanded graphite particles by weight and between about 40% and 60% of non-expanded graphite particles by weight.