What are the differences between a primary cell and a secondary cell?

Primary Secondary 1)Lower initial cost. Higher initial cost. 2)Higher life-cycle cost ($/kWh) Lower life-cycle cost ($/kWh) if charging in convenient and inexpensive. 3)Disposable. Regular maintenance required. 4)Disposable. Periodic recharging required 5)Typically lighter and smaller; Traditionally less suited for portable applications, thus traditionally more suited although recent advances in Lithium battery technology for portable applications. have lead to the development of smaller/lighter secondary batteries. 6)Longer service per charge Traditional secondary batteries (particularly aqueous secondary batteries) and good charge retention. exhibit inferior charge retention. 7)Traditionally limited The overall inherent versatility of secondary battery systems allows its use to specific applications. and continuing research for a large spectrum of applications. read less