I bought a bunch of these when I was a kid and never could understand how they worked or why they quit making them. Basically, they had the same life as an ordinary alkaline battery, but once the battery “died,” you didn’t throw them away, you let them sit for about a day and they’d recharge themselves somehow. They wouldn’t last quite as long the second time around, but you could recharge them a couple of more times, so it worked out that the battery lasted considerably longer than an ordinary alkaline. Anyone have a clue as to how they worked and if they’re still available?
Yes they are still used, mostly the tiny button-shaped ones for hearing aids and such. Just found some information onthis Energizer page. These batteries have small air holes, and the air is used in the chemical reaction. Batteries for low-current long-life use (e.g. hearing aids) have small holes, and batteries for high-current applications have larger holes. I’m guessing that the ones you bought had air holes too small for your application, so the air inside the battery was used up quickly. When you left it alone, more air seeped into the battery and made it functional again.
They are also used as replacement for mercury batteries, I think because the voltage is similar. Mercury batteries had much longer shelf lives though.
I have a cell phone battery that is zinc air - I use it an an emergency batt as it is non rechargable. It has many air holes in the back and suppose to get something like 1 month of use.