By sion932 
GB/T 28867-2012 is a national recommended standard of the People’s Republic of China, titled “Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes – Sealed nickel-cadmium prismatic rechargeable single cells”. Issued on November 5, 2012, and implemented on February 15, 2013, this standard is formulated in accordance with the rules specified in GB/T 1.1-2009 and is identically adopted from the international standard IEC 60622:2002, ensuring its alignment with global technical norms while adapting to China’s industrial practices through editorial revisions.
As a key specification in the field of alkaline storage batteries, GB/T 28867-2012 is under the jurisdiction of the National Technical Committee for Alkaline Storage Batteries (SAC/TC 77) and sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China. The standard was drafted by the China Electronics Standardization Institute and the 18th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, with core drafters including Sun Chuanhao, Liu Haojie, and Wang Ailing, leveraging their extensive expertise in battery technology and standardization.
1. Scope and Core Objectives
The standard specifies the marking, testing, and requirements for sealed nickel-cadmium prismatic rechargeable single cells. It defines “prismatic” as cells with rectangular sides and bottom surfaces. A key note in the standard clarifies that if other standards stipulate test conditions and requirements for batteries used in special applications and there is a conflict with this standard, the former shall take precedence. This flexibility ensures the standard’s adaptability to diverse industrial scenarios while maintaining baseline technical consistency.
GB/T 28867-2012 applies to all sealed nickel-cadmium prismatic rechargeable single cells containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes sold or used in mainland China, including imported products. Its core objective is to establish uniform technical criteria to guarantee product quality, safety, and interoperability, supporting the healthy development of the battery industry.
2. Key Technical Requirements
2.1 Marking and Identification
The standard specifies detailed requirements for battery models, terminals, marking, and safety recommendations. Batteries must be clearly marked with essential information such as model, rated capacity, rated voltage, manufacturer’s name or logo, and production date. Terminal design shall ensure reliable electrical connection and prevent incorrect polarity connection, which is crucial for safe operation and application compatibility.
2.2 Dimensional Specifications
GB/T 28867-2012 defines the external dimensions of prismatic sealed nickel-cadmium single cells, ensuring consistency across different manufacturers. This standardization facilitates the integration of batteries into various devices and systems, reducing design and assembly costs for downstream industries.
2.3 Electrical Performance Tests
Electrical performance is a core focus of the standard, covering multiple test items with strict criteria:
- Charging Method for Tests: The standard prescribes the charging procedure for pre-test preparation, ensuring uniform test conditions to avoid performance deviations caused by inconsistent charging protocols.
- Discharge Performance: At 20°C, batteries must meet specified discharge capacity and voltage requirements under different discharge rates. This ensures the battery can deliver stable power output in practical applications.
- Charge Retention Capacity: After a specified storage period, the battery’s residual capacity shall not fall below a certain threshold, reflecting its ability to maintain charge during idle storage.
- Durability: Batteries must withstand a specified number of charge-discharge cycles while retaining a minimum capacity, ensuring long service life in cyclic operation scenarios.
- Other Electrical Tests: Additional tests include constant voltage charge acceptance, overcharge resistance, safety device operation, gas leakage, and storage performance, all of which are designed to verify the battery’s reliability and safety under extreme or abnormal conditions.
2.4 Mechanical and Appearance Requirements
Mechanical tests evaluate the battery’s resistance to external impacts, vibrations, and compression, ensuring it can withstand the mechanical stresses encountered during transportation, installation, and use. Appearance requirements prohibit defects such as cracks, deformation, and electrolyte leakage, which may affect safety and performance.
3. Approval and Acceptance Conditions
GB/T 28867-2012 establishes clear type approval and batch acceptance criteria. Type approval requires manufacturers to submit samples for comprehensive testing to demonstrate compliance with all standard requirements before mass production. Batch acceptance specifies inspection levels and acceptable quality levels (AQL) for incoming or outgoing batches, ensuring consistent product quality in mass production. For example, the electrical inspection of open-circuit voltage, polarity, and 20°C discharge is conducted at inspection level II with an AQL of 0.65.
4. Significance and Application
As an identically adopted international standard, GB/T 28867-2012 bridges the gap between China’s domestic battery industry and global technical norms, facilitating the export of Chinese battery products and the import of foreign products that meet uniform standards. It provides a reliable technical basis for manufacturers, testing institutions, and regulatory authorities, promoting fair competition in the market and protecting consumer rights.
This standard is widely applied in various fields where sealed nickel-cadmium prismatic batteries are used, such as industrial control systems, emergency lighting, communication equipment, and medical devices. By ensuring the stability, safety, and interoperability of batteries, it supports the reliable operation of downstream equipment and promotes technological progress in related industries.
5. Editorial Revisions from IEC 60622:2002
To adapt to China’s standardization practices, GB/T 28867-2012 makes the following editorial revisions to the original IEC 60622:2002:
- Replace the term “this International Standard” with “this Standard”;
- Use the decimal point “.” instead of the comma “,” as the decimal separator;
- Delete the foreword of the IEC standard.
These revisions do not change the technical content of the original international standard, ensuring the consistency and equivalence of technical requirements.
GB/T 28867-2012 is a pivotal standard for sealed nickel-cadmium prismatic rechargeable single cells in China, integrating international advanced technology with domestic industrial needs. It plays a crucial role in regulating product quality, ensuring safety and reliability, and promoting international trade. Adherence to this standard is essential for manufacturers to enhance product competitiveness, for testing institutions to conduct accurate evaluations, and for the sustainable development of the alkaline battery industry. As the industry evolves, this standard will continue to serve as a foundational technical framework, supporting innovations and applications in battery technology.