Alkaline cell

In an electrochemical cell of the type which generates electrical energy and exhibits an output discharge voltage:

• an anode cap;
• and a consumable anode contained within said anode cap and comprised of a main anode active material and a secondary anode active material present in amounts effective to obtain a cell discharge voltage at one substantially constant voltage level during substantially the whole useful life of the cell due to consumption of said main anode active material followed by an abrupt lowering of the cell discharge voltage to a distinctly lower voltage level for substantially the remainder of the cell useful life due to consumption of said secondary anode active material thereby enabling detection of the approaching exhaustion of the cell by the abrupt change of the cell discharge voltage, said main anode active material comprising zinc and said secondary anode active material comprising indium present in an amount of from more than 2% to 10% by weight with respect to the weight amount of said zinc, and said secondary anode active material being disposed principally along the interior surface of said anode cap.