Patent ID: 7659031

Claim:
A size AA alkaline battery comprising: an anode comprising zinc functioning as an active material said zinc being the largest component of said anode by amount; a cathode comprising manganese dioxide or nickel oxyhydroxide functioning as an active material said manganese dioxide or nickel oxyhydroxide being the largest component of said cathode by amount; a separator composed of a nonwoven fabric; an electrolyte composed of an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide; and zinc oxide present in an amount of 0.08 to 0.1 g in any one of or any combination of said anode, and said cathode, wherein, the amount of zinc oxide is such that at an initial stage of the reaction in the battery when installed in reverse polarity, a reduction reaction of zinc oxide occurs before a hydrogen-generating reaction thereby suppressing the generation of hydrogen gas and an amount of oxygen such that the oxygen moves from the cathode to the anode through the separator thereby oxidizing zinc in the anode to form zinc oxide, and the total air-permeability of the separator composed of the nonwoven fabric is in the range of 50 to 65 ml/sec/cm 2 .