- Mercury as a Panacea
- Adhoc Research
- Safety First
- Manufacturing Stage Challenges
- A Pass, but not 100%
Safety First
![[PHOTO]](images/vol07_img_02.jpg)
To meet our quality standards, the battery had to remain safe even when subjected to moderate misuse. Safety was especially important for alkaline button batteries, which are used in toys and other portable electronic items. However, safety wasn't the only priority. It might be possible to build a car with a body so robust that the passengers remain totally unharmed in the event of a collision. However, extremely poor fuel efficiency would halve the value of such a car. The same applies to batteries. It would be meaningless to improve the safety of a battery unless we also improved its value as a commercial product. The goal that we set for ourselves was to develop a battery that would be at least as good as an alkaline button battery containing mercury in terms of both safety and performance. After numerous experiments, we eventually succeeded in discovering an effective substance and the right mixture. Once we had combined this discovery with the technology we had developed for the mercury-free silver oxide battery, we knew we were on the right track.
Manufacturing Stage Challenges
We added a new hydrogen-absorbing material to the cathode leading to the development of a mercury-free alkaline button battery. Because this material had never been used before, we encountered a number of mass-production challenges. One of these was a decline in productivity when existing production methods were used. We were able to solve this problem by modifying the processes with the dedicated assistance of the production team. We had to set up a mass-production system to manufacture batteries in the same way as before using a material that we'd never used before. It was extremely difficult. However, we were eventually able to address all the problems thanks to the combined efforts of the design and production staff.
A Pass, but not 100%
The development of the mercury-free alkaline button battery was not the result of a totally different approach based on completely new ideas. The foundation for our success was technology accumulated through the development of various types of batteries since 1977. That gave us a base from which we were able to move forward.
Rather than a "eureka" experience, our sense of achievement when we succeeded in creating a mercury-free battery was more a feeling of relief that we had at last developed a product we could supply to users with confidence and pride. Yet while our product is safe, problems can arise if used improperly. We believe that while every product may receive a passing grade, no product, including this one, has achieved a score of 100%. That's why we'll continue to enhance our ability to develop new technology.
