What are the chemicals present in dry cell?

Question

what to do with damaged dry cell battery?are there any adverse effect of doing so?

Answer 1

It consists of zinc metal containing a paste of ammonium chloride, MnO2. It acts as anode. A corbon rod immersed in the paste acts as cathode.

Answer 2

Zinc and carbon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc-carbon...

Answer 3

the cheapest carbon-zinc variety, a zinc outer casing (anode) contains a layer of NH4Cl with ZnCl2 aqueous paste separated by a paper layer from a mixture of powdered carbon & manganese(IV) oxide (MnO2) which is packed around a carbon rod (cathode). As the cell runs, manganese is reduced from an oxidation state of +4 to +3, collecting electrons from the carbon rod, while the zinc metal anode is oxidized to Zn2+ ions, producing the electrons. So the electrons travel outside the cell, from the zinc casing (the negative end or anode) through contacts and wires to the carbon rod (which is in contact with the manganese dioxide powder, the actual cathode material, and so is positive).

In so-called alkaline cells (see alkaline battery), some of the electrolyte in the paste is replaced with an alkaline paste of potassium hydroxide.

If you are going to dispose of them just save them up and take them to a haz mat drop off site.