An object of the present invention is to provide electrolytic
manganese dioxide to be used as a
cathode active material for an alkali-
manganese dry cell, which has a high alkali potential and is provided with a high reactivity and packing efficiency as a
cathode for the
cell, and which is excellent in the middle rate
discharge characteristic, and electrolytic
manganese dioxide excellent in the
high rate discharge characteristic and the middle rate
discharge characteristic, which will not cause
corrosion of
metal materials, and a method for its production.In the present invention, electrolytic manganese dioxide having an alkali potential of at least 280 mV and less than 310 mV, and FWHM of at least 2.2° and at most 2.9°, is used. It is preferred that of the electrolytic manganese dioxide, the (110) / (021)
peak intensity ratio in the X-
ray diffraction peaks is at least 0.50 and at most 0.80, and the (110) interplanar spacing is at least 4.00 Å and at most 4.06 Å. Further, electrolytic manganese dioxide wherein the JIS-pH (JIS K1467) is at least 1.5 and less than 2.6, the
sodium content is at least 0.02 wt % and less than 0.10 wt %, the
sulfate group content is less than 1.30 wt %, the median
diameter is at least 30 μm and at most 50 μm, and the BET specific surface area is at least 20 m2 / g and at most 50 m2 / g, is preferred.