Temperature Effects on Performance
The recommended operating temperature range for alkaline batteries is -18° C to 55° C. However, it is
important to keep in mind that battery performance is still impacted by temperature within the
recommended range. Performance of the battery is primarily dependent on how fast critical fuels, water
and hydroxyl ions, can move and react in the battery. The mobility of ions is known as diffusion. For
example: maximum battery performance will not be achieved at cold temperatures. As the temperature
decreases, the diffusion of the fuels will decrease resulting in lower performance. Batteries will discharge
more efficiently as the operating temperature is increased due to increase diffusion of the fuels. As the
temperature is decreased, performance decreases accordingly. The lower temperature limit is determined
in part by the temperature at which the electrolyte freezes. The Alkaline-Manganese Dioxide cell can
operate at temperatures as low as –20oC however this performance will be significantly lower (fig. 5). The
operating range for these cells is wider than for Leclanché cells