Button cells, also known as coin cells, are one of the battery types classified by their shape. They are small batteries that are button-shaped, coin-shaped, or bean-shaped. Button cells come in a wide variety of specifications and styles. The diameters of different models vary in size, and the thicknesses also differ. In terms of battery characteristics, the vast majority of button cells are primary batteries (i.e., non-rechargeable batteries, also known as primary cells); while rechargeable button cells (also known as secondary cells) are usually designed as built-in components and integrated into the product, such as the rechargeable button cells used in small Bluetooth headphones.
The power capacity and output power of button batteries are both lower than those of conventional dry batteries. Their application scenarios mainly focus on small portable devices that cannot be connected to an external power source, such as calculators, watches, electronic thermometers, etc. In addition, button batteries are also widely used as backup power sources for various computer-related devices to ensure that the devices can maintain the operation of the internal clock and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) data storage when the power is off, for example, batteries used to retain basic input output system (BIOS) settings memory and real-time clock functions.
Currently, the button battery market is continuously developing driven by the market demand for emerging products. The areas covered by the emerging product market mainly include RFID products, bank keys, highway electronic toll collection systems (ETC), supermarket electronic price tags (ESL), medical equipment, smart wearable devices, car remote controls, car tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), smart meters, etc. These emerging fields have put forward multiple special technical requirements for button batteries, including thin design and wide temperature range adaptation, etc.
With the enhancement of environmental awareness and the popularization of sustainable development concepts, the button battery industry is also moving towards a more environmentally friendly direction. This is to reduce the impact of discarded batteries on the environment. At the same time, the use of environmentally friendly materials and green production processes has become a new trend in the industry's development.
Although button batteries have experienced a certain decline in production due to factors such as industry resumption of work and production in recent years, their market size still remains at a certain level. With the rise of emerging markets and the increasing demand from consumers for high-performance products, the button battery market is expected to witness more growth opportunities.