Batteries produce power through a chemical reaction. The key to this reaction is moving electrons. Electrons are the negatively charged particles of atoms and, when they move, they generate power. How batteries are manufactured achieves this by using two metals or “electrodes” that meet two vital criteria.
Mixing the constituent ingredients is the first step in battery manufacture. After granulation, the mixture is then pressed or compacted into preforms—hollow cylinders. The principle involved in compaction is simple: a steel punch descends into a cavity and compacts the mixture.
Usually a battery is made up of cells. The cell is what converts the chemical energy into electrical energy. A simple cell contains two different metals (electrodes) separated by a liquid or paste called an electrolyte. When the metals are connected by wires an electrical circuit is completed. One metal is more reactive than the other.
Batteries are used to store chemical energy. Placing a battery in a circuit allows this chemical energy to generate electricity which can power device like mobile phones, TV remotes and even cars. Generally, batteries only store small amounts of energy. More and more mobile devices like tablets, phones and laptops use rechargeable batteries.
When you unplug the power and use your laptop or phone, the battery switches into reverse: the ions move the opposite way and the battery gradually loses its charge. Read more in our main article on how lithium-ion batteries work.
Instead, each cylinder is a cell. In alkaline batteries, the cathode or positive electrode is made using a mix of manganese oxide, graphite and potassium hydroxide in solution. The potassium hydroxide is the electrolyte. All of these are combined in giant containers, the mix then granulated and pressed into rings called preforms.