(US4455358-A)      Electrochemical cell contg. aq. alkaline electrolyte has an anode comprising an intimate gelled mixt. of powdered metal, aq. alkaline electrolyte soln. and an agent which gels the mixt. and can absorb water. The agent comprises a carbohydrate backbone having water soluble side chain gps. grafted thereon.    The carbohydrate may be starch and the side chain may be acrylonitrile, acrylanide, acrylic acid, acrylic acid ester, vinyl acetate, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, salt of alginic acid or gluconic acid.    The anode has improved discharge characteristics. Internal resistance of the cell is not increased and gassing is reduced. (6pp)a    (US4681698-A)      Electrochemical cell comprises a cathode (e.g. MnO2), powdered metal anode (e.g. Zn), and an aq. alkaline gel electrolyte obtd. by mixing the powdered anode metal and alkaline electrolyte with a water-absorbent gelling agent having a carbohydrate backbone with grafted, water-soluble, ionised side chain gps. (1-19 side chain gps. per carbohydrate backbone). The gelling agent is obtd. by graft copolymerisation of acrylonitrile, acrylamide, acrylic acid, alkyl acrylates, methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, N-vinylpyrrolidone, alginic acid salts, gluconic acid or their mixts. with a carbohydrate, pref. starch.    USE -   The prods. are cells with improved discharge characteristics and enhanced lifetime, as liq. sepn. in the gel and excess gassing are avoided without adversely increasing the internal resistance. (6pp)    (DE3048126-C)      An electrochemical cell contains A) a cathode, aq. alkaline electrolyte and a separator and B) as anode an intimate gelled mixt. of a powdered metal, an aq. electrolyte soln. and an agent able to gel the mixt. The agent is a water absorbing material having a starch hydrocarbon structure with grafted on water soluble side chain.    The side chain esp. contain acrylonitrile and are ionised. The agent also contains a water insoluble salt of an aq/alkaline saponified material having a gelled starch structure with water soluble grafted on saponified side chains. The wt. ratio gelled starch to saponified side chains is 1:1-19.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   To improve the discharge properties of the cell; the behaviour of the cell is not affected by decomposition products of cell components. (6pp)