Can alkaline batteries be recharged?

No, standard alkaline batteries are not rechargeable. Although rechargeable alkaline variants do exist, they have several important disadvantages.

Disadvantages of rechargeable alkaline batteries

• They require a special charger
• Charging them in a NiMH or NiCd charger is unsafe and may cause leakage or explosion
• Their capacity decreases after every charge cycle
• They can only be recharged a limited number of times
• The efficiency is relatively low compared to real rechargeable batteries
• Once the voltage drops below a critical level, recharging is no longer possible

The only real advantage is their slightly higher initial voltage compared to NiMH batteries. However, during use this voltage drops quickly.

For most applications, true rechargeable batteries such as NiMH batteries are the better and safer choice.