| Batteries standardised by the IEC (International
Electro technical Commission) have a clear, internationally valid
designation. However, the use of this designation is voluntary, so
it will not necessarily appear on every primary battery.
Nevertheless, the manufacturer's designation and the battery voltage
are always printed on the battery housing.
Due to their popularity, many designations - although outdated -
have been retained. The ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
designations e.g. are no longer officially valid - nor are those
from JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard). Former ANSI terminology is
now used only for size designations. The original designation AA,
for example, was formerly used for an R6 sized (Mignon) zinc-carbon
battery, using natural manganese dioxide. Today "AA" is frequently
used as a size designation, irrespective of the battery's
electrochemical system.
| American number |
International
standard number |
| D |
R20 |
| C |
R14 |
| AA |
R6 |
| 9V |
6F22 |
| AAA |
R03 |
|
