Georges Leclanché’s cell. Invented in 1866, this dry cell and its later variations,
the zinc chloride and alkaline cells, are batteries commonly used throughout the
world. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
7 Georges Leclanché 7terminal of zinc, and a positive terminal of manganese
dioxide. The Leclanché cell immediately became a com-
mercial success in large sizes because of its readily available
low-cost constituent materials.
The original version of the Leclanché cell was actually
“wet,” as it had an electrolyte consisting of a solution of
ammonium chloride. The idea of employing an immobi-
lized electrolyte was fi nally introduced in the late 1880s
and launched the dry-cell industry that continues to
fl ourish today. The Leclanché cell remains the least
expensive dry cell and is available nearly everywhere. The
anode (negative terminal) of this battery is a zinc alloy