Can alkaline batteries be recharged?

No, not the normal alkaline batteries. Rechargeable alkaline batteries do exist, but they have major disadvantages:

• Firstly, you need a special charger, which is usually relatively expensive. Charging alkaline batteries in chargers intended for genuine nickel-hydride and nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries can be very dangerous (explosion risk).

• Secondly, the voltage of an alkaline battery can quickly drop below a critical point, after which it cannot be recharged. The problem is that while using it, you do not know when this point has been reached. So you have to recharge quickly, which is a disadvantage if you want to use the device for a longer period of time.

• Thirdly, when you recharge alkaline batteries, you never get the full capacity back. Once the batteries have been used several times, the available energy quickly becomes less and less. In theory, you will be able to reload them a few dozen times at most. However, the net return is very small. Because of these disadvantages, it is better to buy actual rechargeable batteries. The only advantage in charging alkaline batteries is the higher initial voltage. But this voltage drops at a certain point even below that of real rechargeable batteries.