Duracell Inc.

Mark Capparella

William L Bowden

Radek Fooksa

Disclosed is a process for treating manganese dioxide containing ion-exchangeable cations by replacing the ion-exchangeable cations present in the manganese dioxide with lithium by a process comprising first replacing ion-exchangeable cations present in the manganese dioxide with hydrogen. This readily is accomplished by slurrying the manganese dioxide in an aqueous acid solution. The resulting acidic manganese dioxide then is neutralized with a basic solution of a lithium containing compound, such as lithium hydroxide. This neutralization step serves to accomplish replacement of the previously introduced hydrogen, by ion-exchange, with lithium. The manganese dioxide then is washed with water, dried, and heat-treated at an elevated temperature, in conventional manner, to convert the gamma manganese dioxide to a mixture of the gamma and beta forms, which then is used as the active cathodic component in an electrochemical cell.

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Milford, MA, United States of America

Mark Capparella