Potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution is a key electrolyte component in primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) batteries. We suggest General Chemical KOH pellets for these applications. Our pellets are 85% KOH, hemispherical in shape and weigh about 0.15 g each. They dissolve easily in water to form desired solution strengths and exceed the industry's demanding purity standards for batteries (see table).

Application	Product
Electrolyte in nickle-cadmium, alkaline batteries and some fuel cells	Potassium Hydroxide Pellets ACS
Storage battery electrolyte	Sulfuric Acid
Battery manufacture	Sodium Hydroxide Pellets ACS

Pellets are the preferred form of KOH because they offer a broad range of benefits compared to commercial flake and liquid KOH products. These benefits include:

• Quick dissolving.
• Virtually dust free.
• Free flowing.
• Convenient storage and handling.
• Guaranteed high purity.
• Low carbonate absorption.
• Freight efficient.

Impurities, max. Reagent ACS

For a complete list of grades available and their specifications, request our potassium hydroxide pellets product profile.

The cell is the basic battery unit that generates or stores electrical energy. A battery can be a single cell or a pack of two or more connected cells. Several types of batteries use a KOH-based electrolyte, e.g., alkaline, nickel-metal hydride, nickel cadmium and zinc/air batteries. Battery cells have three typical configurations, each with the same basic parts:

* Electrodes ­ sites where the electrochemical process takes place. Batteries have two electrodes: an anode with a negative charge 1, and a cathode with a positive charge 3.

* Separator ­ a permeable, nonconductive material 2 that keeps the anode and cathode apart. The separator also absorbs the electrolyte so no free electrolyte is present.

* Electrolyte ­ the medium that transports ions (electricity) between the positive and negative electrodes. Contains 25% to 50% KOH solution. Presence of certain impurities can reduce battery efficiency, corrosion resistance, shelf life and usage life.