Button Cell Battery Equivalents to CR44, 357, G13, A-76, LR44 and more
LR44 battery, equivalents, and its installation. We all know it, the electronics we love have batteries and those batteries need to be replaced. Some times these are a pain to find like the small button cell batteries The 1 5v LR44 battery is commonly found in the LED flashlights, calculators, calipers, clocks, cameras, digital thermometers, laser pointers, toys and even in a multimeter. LR 44 also called an A76 or AG13 has several equivalent names and comes in different chemistries. The chemistry in these batteries exhibits different performances. These batteries come in zinc-air, silver-oxide, alkaline and mercury oxide chemistry. The voltage capacity of a battery depends upon the manufacturer.
Button batteries are very dangerous to children. what to do if a child swallows one.
Here, we will discuss the performances, chemistry and equivalent battery LR44.
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Button cell Battery
LR44 Battery is made up of several small single cells called a button cell. They are squat cylinder type of cells that have a diameter ranging from 5 to 25 mm and are 1 to 6 mm high. It resembles a button hence called a button cell. The positive terminal and body of the cell are made from metal. The top cap of the cell is negative terminal which is insulated.
These are primary cells which are usually disposable and not chargeable . They have long service life however some of them discharged on their own but slowly if they are not used.
Zinc or lithium is the common materials as the anode. Materials such as cupric oxide, carbon monofluoride, silver oxide, manganese dioxide and oxygen from the air are used as the common cathode. Same size cells with different chemistry are interchangeable.
As different cell comes with different chemistry so their voltage stability and service life also differ. Hence, select the right cell that has a better life and stability.
About 1 5v lr44 battery battery
IEC or the international electro technical commission defines the nomenclature of a battery. So, the nomenclature for LR 44 battery is “L” indicates the type of electrode used in it. It has Zinc as a negative electrode, manganese dioxide is a depolarizer and a positive electrode and it has an alkaline electrolyte. The shape of the cell is round or cylindrical which is defined by R44. The height of the cell is 5.2 ± 0.2 mm and diameter ranges from 11.4±0.2mm.
Alternatives to this battery/ lr44 compatible batteries
The most common equivalent battery to the lr44 is the AG13 battery. However, there are dozens of brands and model number that are all equivalent to the lr44 or AG13 battery.
All of these batteries are interchangeable
Click on the item Link Below to be taken to Amazon pages for each item
Energizer LR44 / AG 13 Replacement Battery
Different manufacturers have different part numbers.
LR43 are not equivalent to LR 44
they are different sizes and will not work in place or each other.
Different chemistry for batteries
Mercury oxide
Batteries with mercury oxide have low voltage with good capacity however they are not used nowadays.
Zinc-air
Hearing aid devices use such batteries since they have low voltage however they possess the exceptionally good capacity. Air and a wet or moist electrolyte are used in zinc-air batteries thus they are not used in other devices. These batteries stop operating when the electrolyte gets dry. It means they last for few weeks only. Hence it is not good when reliability is a priority for the devices.
Alkaline
Alkaline battery like LR 44 battery has manganese oxide and zinc metal. It has long serving life, high energy density, and voltage. They have moderate toxicity as compared to other batteries.
Silver oxide
Battery with silver oxide chemistry as high ratio in terms of energy to weight and is of small size. The use of silver is minimal. Zinc works as the negative electrode, silver oxide as a positive electrode and either potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide or alkaline works as an electrolyte in SR44 battery.
Replacement of LR 44 battery
Silver oxide batteries are however best replacement of the alkaline batteries. However, manufacturers use both names LR 44 and SR44 on the packages but these two have different chemistry. If the package lists only alkaline batteries then don’t worry as it is safe to use silver oxide batteries in place of it.
There are a few differences between them. The nominal voltage varies by 0.5V in silver oxide whereas LR 44 battery has 1.5V. Alkaline battery experiences a gradual drop in voltage with time while it has a constant voltage drop when in use. The voltage drops sharply if they are fully discharged. They also vary in battery capacity as the capacity of silver oxide is 165-170mah and LR44 is 110mah. Silver oxide batteries are expensive but have a longer life.
Which is better?
The LR 44 battery is good for general use since they are cheap whereas for more practical applications like electronic devices SR44 battery is good. So, they are a good replacement for these batteries.
Installation and use
They are asymmetrical and hence care should be taken while installing these batteries. They will work only when installed with the correct polarity. Some of the manufacturers recommend wiping the cell using a cloth before installing it. Moreover, it should be kept away from the moisture, acid, dirt and oils. The battery when comes in contact with these elements may or may not conduct properly.
These batteries don’t need to be recharged as they are primary cells. Don’t short circuit the cell as it may explode. The high current will flow in the cell which will overheat it due to internal resistance and thus causes an explosion. Extra care to be taken when using them and don’t let the children use them as they may swallow it which can cause risks like internal burning, fatalities, and poisoning. Moreover, don’t let them keep the cell near their ear or nose as burns can be caused to such places.
LR44 Battery is not rechargeable so buy it only for the applications where reliability is not an issue. They are cheap so you can buy it again in case the old one stops working. However, they have no longer life so you cannot expect them to work longer. You can use them for simple applications like blinking lights, toys, calculator and more. In case you need them for an electronic device then we suggest using silver oxide battery. They are more reliable than this.
But, before buying the batteries make sure to check the package list. Don’t forget to check the label on them. You can even use equivalent batteries of LR 44 battery.
There are some dangers with children and these batteries
Child swallowed button battery?
There are literally law firms to call that are pursuing this as a lawsuit against the manufacturers.This law firm is actually called button battery injury lawers. That means this happens a lot. If you child swallowed a button battery then you need to get your child to the hospital now. Like 5 minutes ago now, that’s how serious this is. Find our full article on what happens and what to do when children swallow button batteries here. https://www.thesmartconsumer.com/child-swallowed-button-battery (this will tell you what to do)