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Friday, February 25, 2022

Back On Alkaline Batteries

Batteries, in the general sense, are a fairly common topic around here.  They're really at the heart of energy storage in so many parts of our lives that they can't help but come up.  

Over the years, many of us have talked about alkaline batteries, which I'd guesstimate as the most common type of battery sold; especially the extremely common double and triple A sizes.  In particular, much of the conversation has been on how the damned things leak so often and damage whatever they're sitting in.  Back in 2018, I wrote about something I read on EEVBlog

I decided to look around a bit and see if it would be worth my while to join the forum, and stumbled across a thread on leaking alkaline batteries, which we've talked about here before and got a lot of interest. 

The conclusion of the commenters is that both Duracells and Energizers leak far more than they used to, but after that it's speculation on reasons and different views on alternatives.  One of the comments that bears what research I can do (perhaps by buying some) is that the big two are competing on image and perhaps some specsmanship about capacity, while cheap batteries aren't trying to win on capacity but rather on cost.  In the fight for being able to claim better capacity, they may squeeze the room in the cell too much and leave out critical elements, such as not leaving enough space for the compounds that remove excess hydrogen that the battery produces during discharge.  It leads to the conclusion that the cheaper batteries may be better. 

Consensus is that lower tier brands like Kodak, Sunbeam, Fuji, Panasonic and Sony make good alkalines that don't leak as often, and that Panasonic's Eneloop NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries are a good substitute.  I have eight  Eneloop batteries for a couple of radios I use regularly and they do seem to be better than the non-branded NiMH batteries I've used. 

I concluded that I wasn't going to go buy a lot of Eneloop batteries but that I was pretty sure I'd bought my last Duracell package.  I should have specified my last Duracell AA or AAA batteries; I have bought C or D sized cells as well as the rectangular 9V batteries.  None of those have ever leaked.  

We have a membership in the "bulk and bundle stores" in town, which until very recently were BJ's Wholesale Club and Sam's Club.  We ended up buying AA and AAA Berkeley & Jenson batteries - BJ's house brand.  

Since that time in '18, it seemed like the story I wrote about was true; we never had one of the cheapo batteries (AA or AAA) leak.  I can put up with a shorter life as long as the batteries don't ruin what they're in.  In the last few weeks, though, we've found leaking BJ's batteries in a few different things.  Both AA and AAA.   

This is a pretty typical example of leakage, but not something of mine.  Photo credit  The important part is not all of the cells leak in a battery pack.  I've read that the negative end of the cell leaks more often than the positive, which is what this shows.  I know I've seen the other end leak as well. 

Which leads to the question and why this post.  Has anyone else done the same experiments of using cheaper batteries and not had any leaks at all?   Has anyone found batteries like Duracells or Energizers have become less likely to leak?  The site that photo credit links to links in turn to another site.  That one says the batteries leak if they're just sitting in something with very little current draw; they recommend not leaving batteries in something like a flashlight.  I've had them leaking in things that are low current drain like a digital clock, a computer mouse, and other things that are running; they're in use.  I simply can't take them out of these things. 



25 comments:

  1. I would also suggest that Duracell and Energizer batteries may be perceived to leak more simply because they are used in a higher proportion than the second tier batteries. It would also be interesting to know exactly who makes each brand of battery. I'd bet that a lot of "house" brand batteries come out of the same factories offshore.

    For myself, I went over to rechargeable NIMH some years ago and now rarely use alkalines.

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  2. I did a rant about Duracells a couple of years ago. We've been using Costco "Kirkland" batteries for AA and AAA, and haven't had any leak.

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  3. Every brand of primary cells I've used have leaked at one time or another.

    I switched to rechargeable nimh and li-ion for everything except lithium button cells and a couple of odd sizes.

    Also, I don't leave cells in anything that doesn't absolutely need it

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  4. I have had duracells leak while new and unused in the package and 4 years left before their expiration date.

    I now use lithium AA and AAA batteries and have had zero issues since the change.

    I tried 9v as a lithium battery and while they worked fine in smoke and CO detectors, they don't generate a high enough peak to reliably fire the lock solenoid in my safe. So those are still alkaline but are checked monthly.

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    1. I'm with BC. I'm almost out of expensive alkalines and I won't be buying more. I've bought a good stock of Eneloops and for disposables in anything else, it's lithium. I do keep a few cheap AC Delco alkalines and I've not had problems with those.

      I also use the lithiums in my gun safe. Haven't had any problem with them firing the solenoid when new. But it seems my lock takes a lot of juice, and I can go through the batteries pretty quickly. Of course, I am in the safe rather frequently.

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  5. I'm glad to know that it's not just me, and thanks for the warning on Energizers too. Mostly, I've switched to rechargeable nimhs, but still have a few Duracells here and there, which will now be relegated to the "don't care" devices until they're gone.

    I lost a Fluke meter to a set of Duracells last summer, and I'm still cranky about it.

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    1. Thanks for that comment, now I have to go replace batteries in my meters.

      I've had Duracells leak in the package still in date.

      Wonder if a wrap of some sort could contain the juice? Not air tight but just enough to save the device sacrificing the holder?

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    2. Ignorant question here - what happens when the leak hits nail polish?
      Could the polish provide a temporary shield, or would it rot away immediately?

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    3. The solution leaking out is mildly alkaline. While I've never done the experiment, I'd expect nail polish to prevent the corrosion.

      I'd also expect the nail polish to prevent the electricity from getting through, too.

      I've been lucky enough so far to not lose something valuable like my Fluke DVM to this problem.

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    4. Know yer pain, doc C.--I lost an EOtech on an M1-A recently, and that just snapped me into CHUNKIN' all my li'l aluminum tube 3-4-5-6 dollar flashlites...I'm all about rechargeables, as in USB-A phone cords. For starters look into Nebo's Mycro® stuff. Totally carriable, totally cool, learn the buttons and you're a step ahead...and no, they ain't payin' me doodley to say all this. Likewise Patriot-brand stuff, re-chargeable...I'm just tired of building 6th-grade chemical gardens inside of expensive stuff...And I've not found a good cleaner YET! "Aw, jes' try vinegar, aw' jes' try baking sodie.." Aw, jes' FERK the greedy basterds with planned obsolescence in mind, and go rechargeable. Yeah, yeah, yeah, all that's gonna die one day too, but until then, "plug me up, buttercup!"

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  6. I gave up on Duracells over a decade ago, and now use only NiMH rechargeables. Any brand seems fine. My newer electronics and my BlindEverybody flashlights, all being Chinese, use 18650 cells which so far have performed excellently.

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  7. In re nail polish: I thought that you could leave the connection spot open. Would it slow down the corrosion effect in the device, or is the connection node where the bad stuff leaks out?
    The overall thought being - this gives you more time to check batteries before things get bad.
    NIMH batteries would be a lot easier, but I'd hate to throw away stuff that can still be used.

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    1. The leakage usually appears to start at the outer edges of the negative terminal, which is a flat (or nearly flat) cap. Ordinarily, you can see a seam on the battery there.

      The contact in the holder is almost always a wire spring and I think some nail polish over the rest of the spring behind the first turn or two would help. Maybe better would be to seal off the area that might let the leakage seep into whatever is below or behind the terminal. A small piece of plastic glued down with nail polish might be the easiest way to seal it off.

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    2. Sounds good.
      Thanks.

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  8. The reason the negative end is more likely to leak is because of the case design of alkaline batteries. The old carbon/zinc batteries used the case as the negative and the cap was on the positive end. Alkaline batteries are the opposite. The solid case is on the positive side, and the cap is on the negative. Therefore the seam is on the negative end. The seam is the easiest point for leakage to occur.

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  9. I have had problems with Duracell batteries over the last 2 years. They totally destroyed my Bose Quiet comfort headset. In many cases they have leaked in the pack they came in without being opened. I have gotten 4 replacement coupons from Duracell but am now in the habit of not redeeming them till I absolutely. I also remove the batteries if I am not using the device need them. I started using the inexpensive batteries from "Dollar Tree". The don't last long but so far they don't destroy my "toys".

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  10. The lithium-iron 1.58V batteries don't leak at all, so far. They cost a lot, but for expensive equipment, they're worth it.

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    1. I've got to confess ignorance here. Can you post a link to what you're talking about? Or more description?

      When I see "lithium-iron", I read LiFePO4, but those aren't 1.58V/cell. Like all the other lithium batteries I know of, they're over 3V per cell. I see some batteries on eBay that might be LiFe(something) at several dollars per cell. And some other AA batteries that are in the $2 or $3 per cell range.

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  11. Stopped using Duracel years ago in AA and AAA. Still use them in C D and 9V. I use the Kirkland brand for AA and AAA and they seem to leak a lot less often, and when they do, the stuff is more clear, and crusty, and much easier to mechanically remove.

    I use a little wire brush, a pick, and a toothbrush to remove the layer of whatever gets hard, then I spray the contacts with MG Chemicals super contact cleaner. That usually gets the gear back in service with little actual damage. Duracels would eat the contact plating, eat thru the wire, and do all sorts of damage.

    You can follow up with Deoxit spray if the gear is valuable...

    And for extreme cases, I will pull the metal plate and springs out of cheap gear picked up at goodwill to use as replacement contacts if I find a piece of gear I need to repair.

    I've had pretty good success with that technique. I gave up on vinegar/baking soda/etc.


    The other thing I often need to 'refresh' is the soft plastic overmold on tools and gear. The stuff lasts just fine for a while, then goes gooey or sticky overnight. I will remove the outer layer of sticky by wiping with denatured alcohol if it's really gooey. I sometimes remove all of the plastic down to the hard stuff underneath, and I usually leave it as is. You could treat the hard plastic with a coating of plasti-dip or FLexSeal if you wanted a softer finish.

    If the soft plastic is still firm enough, I have had good luck spraying it with a layer of silicon lube and letting it sit for a few hours. Wipe off the excess, and about 7 times out of 10 the plastic will be rejuvenated. I've tried several kinds of spray lube, and some work on one item better than another might.

    For sticky but solid plastic, after a light wipe with alcohol, I have sprayed stuff with the Clear FlexSeal with good results too. The flexseal dries firm and encapsulates the sticky stuff.

    I find the gooey plastic to be as big or even a bigger problem than leaky batteries.

    nick

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    1. That soft plastic stuff that coats so many things is one of my major annoyances. I agree that it's as big or bigger problem than the leaky batteries, at least in the number of things it affects.

      I generally do my best to get it off - with alcohol, as you say. Often, it's hard to get it all off, especially around knobs and switches. I've never tried covering it with clear FlexSeal or anything else. I have a bunch of Horrible Freight LED lights that need the alcohol treatment. I almost can't put them down.

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    2. I've had good luck with regular soap on the soft overmold rubber.

      It seems to work better than 91% isopropyl.

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  12. Duracell changed their chemistry back in the late 00's Obumer inflation. I suspect that they used to make the Kirkland batts, but that may have changed. I stopped buying ether brand. Supposedly, they revised the chemistry so that the leakage doesn't do as much damage. Looks similar, but has a more gell appearance than the early crap. Should clean off with warm water, maybe? I've had a Dracell 9V batt puke it's entire guts out (the base isn't sealed at all).

    I think that the leaky chemistry is so cheap, compared to the original, that most all the batt makers thought they had to follow them to be competitive. I just call them stupid, as the result is the loss of brand preference by the public, since they are all junk.

    One of the problems is that the leak seems to happen overnight, so looking for warning signs is a waste of time. Wish there was some sort of sensor that could be added to a battery area that would alert when the leak starts. That, or a coating that would seal the battery, but virtually no battery box has room for any sort of containment material. Maybe it's time the designers start looking at a replaceable battery box when they do a new item.

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  13. We use Energizer at work and I just had to clean a radio they leaked in.
    I've been buying store brands or off brands when needed.
    Our current stock is Panasonic and they haven't leaked but they don't last as long in the flashlight I carry as other brands to.

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  14. Thank you for this post - I'd been thinking it was just me. I tended to buy the Energizer/Duracell brands, because I thought they had a longer life. But, I've been finding the leaking for the last few years (generally in products that were in storage, so it wasn't immediately obvious).

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