In 1959, the late Lewis Urry (5T0) invented the zinc manganese dioxide alkaline battery. It remains one of the most significant advancements in the battery’s history.
Mr. Urry, who worked for Toronto-based Canadian National Carbon Co. at the time, was tasked with discovering a way to extend the life span of the commonly used zinc-carbon battery. He took a novel approach to the problem: he tested cells that used acid-neutralizing or ‘alkaline’ materials.
Read more in the Globe and Mail‘s profile of Lewis Urry as part of its series of articles on Canadian inventors.