The self-discharge of zinc/silver-oxide cells has been evaluated by measuring the quantity of hydrogen evolved in a KOH electrolyte. The efficiencies of various corrosion inhibitors have been estimated by measuring the polarization curves and cell discharge capacities. It has been found that a hydrogen evolution rate near to that of a zinc powder electrode containing 14 wt.% Hg may be obtained at the 1 wt.% Hg level by using a special electrolyte consisting of KOH solution with ZnO and trimethyl-dodecyl ammonium chloride (Ci2H,,N(CH3)sCl), expressed as DT for simplicity, as a cation active agent. Button cells with such materials exhibit initial capacities that are greater than those of cells with 14 wt.% Hg. After high-temperature/highhumidity storage, and one-year and two-year room-temperature storage, discharge tests have shown that the electrical properties of the new cells are close to those of similar cells containing 14 wt.% Hg. After two-and-a-halfyears of storage, the new cells yield lower capacities than those with a high mercury content. However, extensive studies have indicated that with the technical formulation mentioned above, the mercury content of Zn/Ag,O and alkaline Zn/MnO, button cells may be lowered to less than 1.2 wt.%.