123 batteries...how many mAh?

[BatteryCharger]

If I was drawing 600ma from a single 123 battery...how long could I expect it to last? (down to about 2.6 volts)

 

[shiftd]

I think 123 battery hold about 1350 mAh worth of juice. And you can expect half of it to be fully usable. So, calculation gives you more than 1 hour and 15 minutes runtime.

 

[Doug Owen]

This one's pretty easy, thanks to this here internet thingie. Looking at the Mallory 123:

Duracell 123 .pdf

It looks to me like 600 mA 'takes a dive' just shy of two hours. You're looking for the graph at the bottom left of page two.

Doug Owen

 

[Tomas]

Here's just the discharge graph for the 123's from the Duracell site:

The rest of the quick info is available HERE (not PDF).

 

[batterystation]

Sanyo shows 1300mAh on thiers and I get just a little over 2 hours drawing half an amp (500ma) of current. You should be right at 2 hours.

 

[brightnorm]

[ QUOTE ]
Tomas said:
Here's just the discharge graph for the 123's from the Duracell site.......



[/ QUOTE ]

Tomas,

I was surprised to see the operating temperature range:

-20C - 75C
(-4F - 167F)

I 've often seen lithium operating temperature as low as -40F. Any explanation for Duracell's figures?

Brightnorm

 

[Stefan]

[ QUOTE ]
brightnorm said:
I 've often seen lithium operating temperature as low as -40F. Any explanation for Duracell's figures?

Brightnorm

[/ QUOTE ]

Brightnorm,

Just a thought here, but it would appear that Duracell lists for safe operational temperatures. Energizer mentions stuff on typical characteristics of batteries here. Of which, there is line that differs between "operational" temperatures, and "storage" tempuratures. Storage temps can be much colder than operational temps. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Tomas]

I suspect that the range given is the only range where the other figures apply, AND is the only range where they might guarantee a specific performance level.

That doesn't mean that they just suddenly stop working outside that range.

 

[mattheww50]

As is suggested, there is a temperature range for a given performance level. Until the electolyte actually freezes, it will still work, although peak output may be drastically reduced.

As long as there is some ion mobility at -40C, the battery will work. The problem is that all chemical reactions are temperature sensitive, so the peak output at -40C is likely to be about 1.5% of what it is at 20C. If you application only needs say 25ma, then it probably works at -40C. If it needs 100ma, it probably works OK at -20C, but not much below -20C.

If you need 500ma, forget it at those sorts of temperatures. There are quite a few applications that only draw 100ma or so, if you only need 25ma, there are less expensive solutions.

The temperature at which the electrolyte crystalizes (freezes) is the point at which it will stop working all together.

Increasing temperature increases reaction rates,and increase the maximum available current, it also increases the self discharge rate.
Anyone who doubts the effect of temperature on batteries should simply look outside in Chicago on the first day of winter where the temperature went below zero. How many cars refused to start? Lower temperature restricts ion mobility in the electrolyte, and dramatically reduces maximum current delivered.