Indian Compliance
Why Your Batteries Might Fail IS 8144 Testing (And How to Fix It)
A dry battery may look like a simple product, but its performance depends on several factors working together—from dimensions and terminal construction to discharge behaviour, storage stability and resistance to leakage. For manufacturers and importers supplying multipurpose dry batteries in India, failure during IS 8144 testing can delay certification, increase testing costs and create production problems.
The important point is that many failures are not caused by one major defect. A battery can perform well in an initial test and still encounter problems after storage, heat exposure or leakage evaluation.
With IS 8144:2025 now being the applicable revised edition, manufacturers should review their product design, quality-control procedures, testing samples and documentation against the latest requirements rather than relying on older IS 8144:2018 practices. BIS states that the revised standard covers multipurpose dry batteries including R03, R6, R14, R20 and the newly included 6F22 designation.
What Is IS 8144 Testing?
IS 8144 testing evaluates multipurpose dry batteries against the requirements specified by the Indian Standard for their construction, dimensions, terminals, performance, marking and durability-related tests.
The current IS 8144:2025 – Multipurpose Dry Batteries – Specification (Third Revision) includes requirements and test procedures covering dimensions, terminals, performance, marking, initial life, delayed life, leakage and delayed life under dry-heat conditions. BIS laboratory information also lists these parameters under its current IS 8144:2025 testing scope.
The standard is relevant to manufacturers and businesses seeking BIS compliance for multipurpose dry batteries in the Indian market. BIS's Scheme-I information continues to list IS 8144 for multi-purpose dry batteries under compulsory BIS certification.
What Changed in IS 8144:2025?
The transition to the 2025 revision is one of the most important points manufacturers should consider.
According to BIS implementation guidelines issued in August 2025, the revision introduced the following significant changes:
- 6F22 was added as an additional battery variety.
- Additional dimensional requirements were introduced beyond diameter and height.
- Testing was required for the additional variety and relevant dimensional requirements.
- Existing IS 8144:2018 licensees were required to implement the revised standard by 9 December 2025.
- BIS also issued revised product-manual and grouping guidance for implementation.
This means an old test report or an earlier internal specification should not automatically be treated as evidence of compliance with the current revision.
Why Do Batteries Fail IS 8144 Testing?
A battery can fail testing for different reasons depending on its design, manufacturing process, materials, storage history and intended application. The most useful approach is to identify the failure parameter first and then trace it back to the manufacturing or design stage.
1. Incorrect Battery Dimensions
A battery must conform to the applicable dimensional requirements. Even when its electrical performance is satisfactory, dimensional non-conformity can create problems with compatibility and physical fit.
Common causes include inconsistent casing dimensions, variation in electrode assembly, incorrect component tolerances or inadequate control of production tooling.
How to improve: Establish documented dimensional controls for every applicable battery designation. Measure production samples at defined intervals and investigate process drift before submitting samples for formal testing.
2. Poor Terminal Construction
The positive and negative terminals are essential for reliable electrical contact. Problems with terminal dimensions, construction, finishing or mechanical consistency can affect the connection between the battery and the device.
How to improve: Introduce incoming inspection for terminal components, control assembly tolerances and conduct routine checks on finished batteries rather than depending only on final visual inspection.
3. Insufficient Initial Life Performance
Initial life testing evaluates battery performance before prolonged storage. A battery may fail when its discharge performance does not satisfy the applicable requirements for the relevant test condition.
Potential causes include variations in active materials, electrolyte formulation, electrode composition, internal resistance, assembly quality or manufacturing consistency.
BIS's current laboratory scope identifies initial life testing as a specific IS 8144:2025 test parameter.
How to improve: Correlate production batches with internal discharge data. Control material specifications and investigate changes in formulation, supplier inputs or production conditions before certification testing.
4. Delayed Life Test Failure
A battery's performance immediately after production does not necessarily predict its performance after storage.
Delayed life testing is designed to evaluate performance after the specified storage period. BIS laboratory information separately identifies delayed life testing under IS 8144.
How to improve: Use a shelf-life validation programme. Track capacity retention over time and investigate self-discharge, electrolyte stability, sealing quality and material degradation.
5. Leakage During Testing
Leakage is one of the most important failure modes because it can affect both battery performance and the equipment in which the battery is installed.
Possible contributors include inadequate sealing, excessive internal pressure, unsuitable materials, mechanical damage or chemical instability.
BIS lists leakage testing as a distinct requirement under the current IS 8144:2025 laboratory scope.
How to improve: Review sealing operations, gasket or insulation components, crimping parameters and material compatibility. Leakage investigations should trace the complete assembly process rather than focusing only on the outer jacket.
6. Failure After Dry-Heat Exposure
Storage at elevated temperature can accelerate chemical and material changes. A battery that performs adequately under normal conditions may behave differently after heat exposure.
IS 8144:2025 includes a delayed life test under dry-heat conditions, and BIS laboratories list this as a separate test parameter.
How to improve: Validate battery construction against the applicable heat-storage conditions and pay particular attention to sealing, electrolyte stability and material compatibility.
7. Marking and Labelling Problems
Technical performance is not the only consideration. Product marking is also addressed by the standard, and BIS laboratory scopes identify marking as a test/check parameter.
A manufacturer should therefore verify the required product information before final production and certification submission.
How to improve: Create a controlled artwork checklist and verify markings against the applicable standard, product designation, certification requirements and approved licence scope.
A Practical Failure-Diagnosis Approach
When an IS 8144 test result is unsuccessful, repeating the test immediately may not solve the problem. A structured investigation is more useful.
Step 1: Identify the Exact Failed Parameter
First determine whether the issue concerns:
- Dimensions
- Terminals
- Performance
- Marking
- Initial life
- Delayed life
- Leakage
- Dry-heat delayed life
BIS's current laboratory scope separates these parameters, making it useful to analyse the failure according to the specific test involved.
Step 2: Trace the Production Batch
Connect the failed samples to their manufacturing batch, raw materials, production date and process conditions. This can help determine whether the problem is isolated or systematic.
Step 3: Review Material Changes
Check whether the manufacturer recently changed suppliers, active materials, electrolyte components, separators, terminals, seals or other construction materials.
Step 4: Check Process Controls
Review assembly pressure, sealing, crimping, filling, inspection and storage conditions. Small changes in production parameters can sometimes affect long-term battery performance.
Step 5: Conduct Internal Verification
Before sending corrected samples for another formal evaluation, conduct appropriate internal checks against the applicable requirements. This reduces the possibility of repeating the same failure.
Step 6: Recheck the Current Standard
Do not rely only on an old IS 8144 test report. Since IS 8144:2025 replaced the previous revision for implementation, manufacturers should verify that their specifications, test programme and certification documentation correspond to the current requirements.
Which Battery Types Are Covered?
IS 8144:2025 covers multipurpose dry battery varieties including:
- R03
- R6
- R14
- R20
- 6F22
The addition of 6F22 is one of the specific changes identified by BIS in its 2025 implementation guidance.
The actual testing and certification scope should always be determined from the applicable standard, product configuration and BIS grouping requirements rather than from battery size alone.
Why Pre-Compliance Testing Matters
Pre-compliance evaluation can help identify weaknesses before samples enter a formal certification or surveillance process.
For manufacturers, it can provide an opportunity to:
- Detect dimensional variation early
- Check discharge performance
- Investigate leakage risks
- Evaluate storage-related performance
- Review dry-heat behaviour
- Verify product marking
- Prepare technical records
- Reduce avoidable retesting
BIS's current laboratory listing demonstrates that IS 8144:2025 testing involves several separately identified parameters, including dimensions, terminals, marking, initial life, delayed life, leakage and dry-heat delayed life.
How Instacertify Can Help With IS 8144 Testing
Instacertify supports manufacturers, importers and businesses with product testing and certification-related requirements. For IS 8144, the focus should be on understanding the applicable battery variety, identifying the required testing parameters, preparing samples and documentation, and addressing non-conformities before proceeding with the certification process.
Because the standard was revised to IS 8144:2025, businesses should first confirm that their testing and certification strategy is based on the current revision rather than an outdated 2018 reference.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current version of IS 8144?
The current revised standard is IS 8144:2025 – Multipurpose Dry Batteries – Specification (Third Revision). BIS issued implementation guidelines requiring existing IS 8144:2018 licensees to transition to the revised standard by 9 December 2025.
Why might a battery pass the initial life test but fail delayed life testing?
Initial and delayed life testing examine battery performance at different stages. A battery can perform satisfactorily when fresh but lose performance during storage because of self-discharge, material degradation, electrolyte changes or sealing-related issues. Manufacturers should therefore validate both fresh and storage-aged performance rather than using initial capacity as the only quality indicator.
Can a battery fail IS 8144 testing even when its voltage looks correct?
Yes. A satisfactory open-circuit voltage does not by itself demonstrate conformity with every applicable requirement. IS 8144:2025 includes dimensions, terminals, marking, life tests, leakage and dry-heat-related testing, so a battery can show an apparently normal voltage while failing another parameter.
What commonly causes leakage in dry batteries?
Leakage can be associated with sealing defects, unsuitable materials, internal pressure, mechanical damage, assembly variation or chemical instability. The correct corrective action depends on the failure evidence, so manufacturers should examine the cell construction and manufacturing process rather than simply changing the external packaging.
Is dry-heat testing important for multipurpose dry batteries?
Yes. IS 8144:2025 specifically includes delayed life testing under dry-heat conditions. This provides a way to evaluate how the battery performs after the specified heat exposure rather than assessing only its behaviour under ordinary storage conditions.
Has 6F22 been added to IS 8144?
Yes. BIS's implementation circular for IS 8144:2025 identifies the addition of 6F22 as a significant change in the revised standard. Manufacturers should therefore check whether their existing certification scope covers the required battery varieties under the revised grouping provisions.
What should a manufacturer do after failing an IS 8144 test?
The manufacturer should first identify the exact failed clause or parameter, preserve the failed-batch information, investigate materials and production records, implement corrective action and conduct suitable verification before resubmitting samples. Simply repeating the same test without identifying the underlying cause may reproduce the failure.
Does an old IS 8144:2018 test report automatically prove compliance with IS 8144:2025?
No. The 2025 revision introduced changes including an additional battery variety and additional dimensional requirements. BIS required existing licensees to implement the revised standard by 9 December 2025, so manufacturers should review their documentation and test evidence against the current revision.