What exactly, makes batteries leak and corrode?

Question

Also is there any way of stopping this from happening in my flashlights?

Answer 1

Generally speaking, all batteries will leak over time. However, certain factors can speed up the process. Heat is the biggest culprit. Storing your flashlights under the seat of your car, or in direct sunlight will cause the batteries to leak. The reason they leak is because they are filled with a chemical paste of which the liquid portion is composed of a base called Potassium Hydroxide. When the batteries get hot, the paste inside expands, and forces chemicals out of the seals in the bottom and top of the battery. When the Potassium Hydroxide makes contact with the spring and terminal in your flashlight, it produces a blue-green powder as it corrodes the terminals away. Cleaning up this powder is easy. The best method I have found is Vinegar. Since the powder is a base, using a little Vinegar (Acetic Acid) will neutralize it quickly and make cleanup a lot simpler.

The best way to avoid future leaks is to keep the flashlight in a relatively cool area. Also, avoid really cheap no-name batteries. You don't have to pay for the high-dollar Energizers or anything like that, but avoid things like "Super Cell" or "Power Max", obvious knock-offs that are half the price of the other no-name batteries. Also, don't mix battery types. There are Standard batteries, and Alkaline batteries. If you mix standard with alkaline, two things can happen. The alkaline batteries are slightly more powerful, and will cause the regular batteries to heat up more in operation, causing them to leak faster. Also, the regular batteries will drag down the alkalines, causing them to die faster.

Regardless of the brand you buy, as I said above, all batteries will leak eventually, so if you don't use the flashlight for extended periods of 3 months or more, remove the batteries, or change them out every couple months.

Answer 2

Alkaline Battery Leak

Answer 3

Alkaline Battery Corrosion

Answer 4

Batteries contain corrosive chemicals, which causes a chemical reaction to produce electricity. Once you start using the the battery, the chemical process that releases the electricity is similar to the process that causes corrosion. If you stop using the battery, the corrosion continues at a very slow pace. It can corrode away the internal workings of the battery and cause a leak.

Humidity causes this to happen faster, because the moisture in the air can penetrate the battery, and react with the chemicals in the battery. This speeds the corrosion. So don't keep your flashlights in a humid area, like a laundry room or basement.

Replace weak batteries, because the longer you use them the more likely they are to leak.

And replace the batteries more often, at least every 6 months.

Answer 5

batteries leak and corrode because the gay empire puts ammonia chloride liquid to insulate the battery or cause some sort electric insulation. The zinc metal can't have contact from the carbon rod and magnesium oxide powder. I tell you what, replace the ammonia chloride with a common powder and you have a double a battery that can be recharged better than a lithium.

Answer 6

i actually KNOW this one!


in a car battery (which btw is a real battery), there are 'cells' of lead plate next to each other in rows (thus 'battery')

a flashlight 'battery' is actually not a battery at all, as it is only ONE cell. Here's the kicker. The plates have to be made of a chemically active metal, and the genius that came up with the 'cell' design put one 'plate' in the middle and wrapped the other 'plate' around it. SO... the outside SHELL of the flashlight battery is actually one of the plates!

This means that as the chemical reaction goes along generating electricity, the metal of the plates gets used up. (it doesnt get 'reattached' like in a car battery) So, when a battery is dead or low, the case of the battery is actually thin... very thin sometimes and often around the insulator that separated the + and - halves of the case. The insulator is only a rubber ring... it doesnt stretch much, so the acid inside often squirts out around it.

Lesson learned from a FIFTH grade science movie i watched while home with pneumonia.

Damn, those Fifth graders are smart!

Answer 7

Water. When batteries get wet, the various salts, acids, and metals (depending on the type of battery--there's lots nowadays) leach to outside of the battery and leave a white or colored residue on the inside of the flashlight. When this happens, the battery is toasted. Sometimes the flashlight too.

Keep the flashlight dry. Or at least keep the batteries dry, and make sure the flashlight is dry when the batteries go in. If that's too difficult, they do sell underwater flashlights (more expensive mind you) that are completely waterproof.

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

batteries are not lead acid btw, they are lead pos. That means, they are built wrong. Who puts ammonia chloride, u know piss, in a battery lol. The correct batteries u should buy are lithium cells for they hav no liquid inside them to cause an explosion.