D Cell Battery - Replacements and Equivalents
D cell battery is a cylindrical battery introduced in 1898 and used in a variety of high-drain applications, including flashlights, toys, radio receivers and transmitters, medical devices, security systems, etc.
The most common label for this battery is 'D-cell', but other labels are used as well, like 'flashlight battery', MN1300, MX1300, LR20, R20, 13A, 13D, Type 373, BA-30, etc.
Updated: March 24, 2023.
D-Cell Batteries Features and Specifications
D-cell use depends on its chemistry and hence the discharge characteristics, including the nominal voltage, nominal capacity, discharge currents, self-discharge rate, etc.
Most popular D-cell chemistries include non-rechargeable Zinc-Carbon, Alkaline, and Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl2) chemistries, and rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel-Metal Hydride, and various Lithium-Ion chemistries.
D-cell battery dimensions are 34.2 × 61.5 mm (1.35 × 2.42 inches) and are one of the largest cylindrical batteries in common use - F-cells (33.0 x 91.0 mm) are larger than D-cells, but they are not as common as D-cells.
Capacity, voltage, output current, and other features greatly depend on the battery chemistry. The list of most common chemistries is given in the following comparison table:
Chemistry | Typical Label | Rechargeable | Typical Capacity (Ah) | Nominal Voltage (V) |
Zinc-Carbon | R20, 13D | No | 6-8 | 1.5 |
Alkaline | LR20, 13A | No (Mostly No) | 10-18 | 1.5 |
NiCd | KR20 | Yes | 2-6 | 1.2 |
NiMH | HR20, B006 | Yes | 8-12 | 1.2 |
Li-SOCl2 | ER 34615 | No | 18-19 | 3.6 |
Li-FeS2 | - | No | 18-24 | 1.8 (1.5) |
Lithium | - | Yes | 4-8 | 1.5 (built-in DC-DC converter) |
Lithium | 32600 | Yes | 5-10 | 3.2-3.7V |
Non-Rechargeable D-Cell Batteries
Non-rechargeable D-cells based on the Lithium Iron Disulfide (Li-FeS2) chemistry are not yet widely in use, although they offer a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts (up to 1.8 open-circuit voltage), ultra-long storage time (10-20 years), and higher capacity, especially in high-drain applications.
Other non-rechargeable D-cell chemistries include zinc-carbon, alkaline, and Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl2) batteries, while NiOOH (Nickel Oxy-Hydroxide; non-rechargeable chemistry) and NiZn (Nickel Zinc; rechargeable chemistry) are far from being seen in this battery size.
Zinc-Carbon D-cells feature a typical capacity of around 6-8 Ah (6000-8000 mAh) with a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts. Zinc-carbon D-cells are the oldest type of D-cells and their nominal voltage of 1.5V is still practically a requirement for D-cell batteries.
Zinc-carbon D-cells feature a shelf life of 3-5 years, and they are fairly cheap and reliable. But, if they are not stored properly, their shelf life can be shortened to 1-2 years. Also, after some time, due to their chemistry, they may leak easily.
When compared with zinc-carbon batteries, alkaline batteries offer many advantages.
Alkaline D-cells cost slightly more than zinc-carbon batteries but have a much larger capacity (12-18 Ah, vs 6-8 Ah), have a similar nominal voltage of 1.5 volts, and have a shelf life of 5-10+ years.
Note that the actual capacity of these batteries greatly depends on the discharge current - some battery brands claim 20+ Ah capacity for their D-cells, however, such capacities are achieved while the batteries are being drained with very low currents (15-30 mAh).
Alkaline D-cells are the most popular D-cell batteries.
Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCL2) batteries are very specialized D-cell batteries.
These batteries feature a nominal voltage of 3.6V and are incompatible with 1.5V D-cell batteries. Also, they feature a very large capacity of 18-19Ah and extra-long shelf life of 10-20+ years.
But, Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl2) D-cell batteries are unable to provide stronger currents - the typical maximum continuous discharge current of Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl2) D-cell batteries is in the 50-150 mAh range, with the pulse current being around 200-300 mAh.
Thus, Li-SOCl2 D-cell batteries are used in electronics as memory backup batteries, CMOS batteries, and similar.
Li-SOCl2 D-cell batteries are offered as classic D-cell batteries, batteries with soldering tabs, or with pre-soldered wires with various connectors.
Rechargeable D-Cell Batteries
Rechargeable D-cells are mostly NiCd, NiMH, and various lithium-ion batteries.
Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) D-cell batteries are rarely used due to the presence of cadmium, a heavy metal that is a strong pollutant.
NiCd batteries suffer from the memory effect, have a relatively high self-discharge rate, have a nominal voltage of 1.2 volts, and a typical capacity of 2-6 Ah.
NiCd batteries can withstand several hundred charging-discharging cycles when being maintained properly and charged with intelligent chargers that monitor the condition of the batteries.
But, NiCd batteries are known as batteries that are able to provide high currents, with some NiCd D-cell batteries being able to easily provide 50+ Amps.
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) D-cell batteries feature a similar output voltage like NiCd batteries of 1.2 volts, but they have a larger capacity (8-12 Ah), they don't contain heavy metals like cadmium or mercury, their self-discharge rate is much lower, and are able to withstand up to 1000-1200 charge/discharge cycles.
Some of the NiMH batteries are optimized for high-drain applications and feature lower capacity, while low-drain batteries feature higher capacity.
On average, NiMH D-cell capacity is around 10 Ah.
Modern NiMH batteries come with features that outperform NiCd batteries in almost every way and are the preferred battery chemistry for rechargeable D-cells - and not only D-cells.
Lithium D-cell batteries feature an internal voltage of 3.2-3.7 volts, depending on the exact lithium battery chemistry, but this voltage is lowered down to 1.5V using DC-DC converters which are part of the batteries' built-in Battery Management Systems (BMS), making them backward compatible with the non-rechargeable zinc-carbon and alkaline D-cell batteries.
The effective capacity of these batteries is usually in the 3-6Ah range.
Lithium 1.5V D-cells are recharged using micro-USB charging cables via any available USB charging port, requiring, on average, 3-6 hours to be recharged completely.
Thanks to the internal lithium batteries, lithium 1.5V D-cells support 1000-2000+ charging/discharging cycles.
Note: lithium rechargeable 3.2-3.7 volts D-cell batteries are not available on the market, or they are still very uncommon. But, when they arrive, they will NOT be compatible with "1.5V only" applications.
Some of the most popular USB rechargeable lithium 1.5V D-cell batteries include (Amazon links, the links open in the new windows):
- Lankoo USB D-Cell Li-Ion 1.5V 12000mWh Rechargeable Battery
- FUVALY D-Cell USB 1.5V 5000mAh Rechargeable Battery
- HITRENDS D-Cell USB 1.5V 4000mAh Rechargeable Battery
Of course, even these eco-friendly batteries must be recycled properly.
D-Cell (LR20, MN1300) Batteries Comparison Chart
The following comparison chart lists some of the most popular D-cell batteries on the market, with their features and specifications:
Battery Datasheet |
Capacity | Operating Temperature | Note |
Duracell MN1300 Coppertop (Alkaline) |
~12.5Ah down to 0.8V @250mA ~9.5Ah down to 0.8V @500mA |
-20°C to +54°C | - |
Duracell QU1300 Quantum (Alkaline) |
~11.5Ah down to 0.8V @250mA ~9Ah down to 0.8V @500 mA |
-20°C to +54°C | - |
Energizer E95 (Alkaline) |
~10Ah down to 0.8V @21°C @250mA ~6.5Ah down to 0.8V @21°C @500mA |
-18°C to +55°C | 10-year shelf life @21°C |
Energizer NH50-2500 (HR20) (NiMH) |
2500mAh down to 1.0V @500mA @21°C | - | - |
Eveready 1250 (ZnMnO2) |
8Ah @25mA down to 0.8V @21°C | -18°C to +55°C | - |
EEMB ER34615 (Lithium Thionyl Chloride 3.6V) |
19Ah | -55°C to +85°C | 150 mA max. cont. 300mA max. 0.1s pulse ≤1% annual self-discharge rate |
EEMB ER34615M (Lithium Thionyl Chloride 3.6V) |
13Ah | -55°C to +85°C | 2A max. cont. 3A max. 0.5s pulse ≤2% annual self-discharge rate |
EEMB ER34615S (Lithium Thionyl Chloride 3.6V) |
12.5Ah | -20°C to +150°C | 170mA max. cont. ≤1% annual self-discharge rate |
EEMB CR34615SL (LiMnO2) |
12Ah | -40°C to +85°C | 2A max. cont. 3A max. pulse ≤1% annual self-discharge rate |
Procell LR20 (Alkaline) |
~19.6Ah @25mA down to 0.8V @20°C | -20°C to +54°C | - |
Rayovac LR20 High Energy (Alkaline) |
~13Ah @250mA ~10Ah @600mA |
-30°C to +55°C | 10-year shelf life @21°C |
Rayovac LR20 (Alkaline) |
~13Ah @250mA ~10Ah @600mA |
-30°C to +55°C | - |
Rayovac LR20 Alkaline Fusion (Alkaline) |
~13.5Ah @250mA ~10Ah @600mA |
-30°C to +55°C | 12-year shelf life @21°C |
Rayovac LR20 UltraPro (Alkaline) |
- | -18°C to +55°C | 10-year shelf life @21°C |
Rayovac R20 (ZnMnO2) |
~3.5Ah @600mA | -18°C to +55°C | 3-year shelf life @21°C |
Rayovac R20 (Carbon Zinc) |
- | -30°C to +55°C | 3-year shelf life @21°C |
As one can see, actual capacities greatly depend on the discharge temperature and current and the battery's age.
AA Battery vs. D-Cell Battery
AA batteries feature physical dimensions of (D x H) 14.5 x 50.5 mm and are much smaller in terms of volume than the D-cell batteries (34.2 x 61.5 mm).
Thus, AA cells feature a much smaller capacity than D-cell batteries, for example, alkaline AA batteries feature a nominal capacity of 1.8-2.7Ah, while alkaline D-cells feature a nominal capacity of 10-18Ah.
Similarly, D-cells are able to provide much stronger currents than AA batteries without any adverse effects on the batteries.
But, some brands offer AA-to-D battery adapters, allowing the user to replace D batteries with one, two, or three AA batteries connected in parallel.
Note: when placing the AA batteries in such an adapter, always choose the very same AA battery model from the same manufacturer, preferably from the same batch in order to avoid imbalances between the batteries.
Long Story Short: If you are looking for non-rechargeable D-cell batteries, go for alkaline D-cells from reputable brands - they provide the best balance between capacity, output current, voltage stability, and of course, the price.
If you are looking for rechargeable D-cells, go for NiMH D-cells, just be sure of what kind of applications they are going to be used for.
Balanced NiMH D-cells feature 1.2 volts nominal voltage and 10Ah capacity, but they should be charged with battery chargers intended for such batteries.
On the other hand, lithium 1.5V D-cells are becoming more and more popular due to the stable output voltage of 1.5V, good capacity, and ease of charging - just plug the battery into any suitable USB port ...
Nonetheless, alkaline D-cells are still going strong. Some of the most popular models include (Amazon links, the links open in the new windows):
Of course, other brands also make very good D-cells, but these two are some of the best buy models.