Duracell
From Free net encyclopedia
Duracell is a leading brand of batteries and flashlights, and is Energizer's historic arch-rival.
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Products
Duracell manufactures alkaline batteries in many common sizes, such as AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V. Lesser known sizes such as AAAA (primarily for pagers, pen lights and blood glucose meters) and J size batteries (for hospital devices)are also manufactured along with a range of "button" batteries using Zinc-air chemistry, used in calculators, hearing aids, and other devices.
Duracell also manufactures specialty batteries, including NiMH rechargeable batteries and batteries for cameras, watches, hearing aids, etc. Their two main battery brands are Coppertop, marketed as longer-lasting, and Ultra, directed mainly at users of digital devices and devices that need more power. The Coppertop and Ultra brands of batteries use the Alkaline Manganese Dioxide chemistry. Duracell also has a line of lithium chemistry batteries and products, now manufactured outside of the US.
In recent years, Duracell innovations expanded to include new battery designs altogether with their prismatic batteries. These prismatic cells were different in geometry from traditional batteries in that they are prismatic in shape (hence their namesake) rather than cylindrical. Prismatic cells were made available in both alkaline and lithium designs. In 2006, Duracell introduced Power Pix (TM) batteries with metal hydroxy technology, meant to supply even longer life to digital cameras and other high drain devices by up to twice the number of photos typically achievable by using ordinary alkaline batteries.
Business
Duracell introduced many battery formats, including AAA (R03)in the 1950s and AA (R6 Penlight) in 1960. It merged with Gillette in 1996, and became a part of Procter & Gamble when P&G acquired Gillette in 2005. Duracell's main competitor is the Energizer brand of batteries. Duracell continues to have manufacturing facilities in the U.S. (primarily in the southeast US) and globally in Asia and in Europe. Duracell's global headquarters is located in Bethel, Connecticut, about an hour from New York City on the Connecticut-New York state line.
History
Duracell came to be via the partnership of scientist Samuel Ruben and businessman P.R. Mallory, who met in the 1920s. The P.R. Mallory Company produced mercury cells for military equipment use, trumping the Zn-air battery technology then used in virtually all applications. In the late 1970s, when the Company's concerns for the now known effects of mercury took hold, mercury quickly became an obsolete ingredient in all their manufacturing processes. Alkaline technology quickly rose to take its place.
In the 1950s when Kodak introduced cameras with built-in flashes, the design called for a new cell size and the AAA was born.
In 1964 the term "Duracell" as a brand was formally introduced. (SOURCE: www.Duracell.com)
Duracell batteries are also bulk packaged for end users under the brand name Procell
