Duracell alkalines leaking?

No. Here's some genuine Costco Kirkland AAA alkaline cells that leaked in the partly unopened package (right side):

For saving alkalines, I don't have an answer. I wrap them in cellophane wrap and absorbent towel paper in the vain hope that I might contain the damage from leaking electrolyte. I just lost two LED head-lights and an emergency weather radio to a variety of alkaline battery brands. All had the contacts and PCB rotted by the leaking electrolyte. Earlier this year, I lost two Maglites, that were not repairable because the cells could not be extracted (without a big drill).

My best fix is switching to NiMH. They leak less. Most have self discharge problems. The Eneloop variety do NOT have self discharge problems, but cost far more than alkaline.

For devices that will take LiIon, I've machined a few adapters. That seems to work best for me. The 14500 LiIon cells are the same size as AA alkaline batteries, but at 3.7V instead of 1.5V. My adaptations works, but I have to be rather careful where I install the AA shorting cells.

Good luck.

All alkalines risk leakage. Use NiMH. They do too but far less often.

NT

I have yet to run into run into any leakage from the AA lithium primary cells I've bought (mostly the Energizer Ultimate family).

Their starting voltage is somewhat higher than an alkaline, and I've heard that some devices are unhappy with that. No self-discharge problems I'm aware of - their shelf life is about as long as alkaline, I think. They're not cheap per-piece, but I believe they work out to roughly the same cost-per-amp-hour as alkalines in the long run.

They're what I load up my wife's camera with, when she goes on vacation... she'll get days of heavy photo shooting, at a rate which would quickly kill alkalines.

I've started buying them in bulk, which does help bring the price down somewhat.

I do like Eneloop and similar low-self-discharge NiMH for many applications... quite economical in the long run.

Huh, I've got a camera at work that eats AA's. I'll try some lithium.

George H.

Joerg wrote on 11/29/2017 1:49 PM:

Alkaline batteries leak... not very often, but they leak. Battery leakage destroying equipment is a pretty big reputation killer, so it would be well worth it to make batteries so they didn't leak. If they could make them so they didn't leak, don't you think they would?

Best to use alkaline batteries with the full knowledge that they can leak. Anyone designing expensive equipment should design the equipment accordingly. If they don't, they are designing crap.

I had the same problem with Duracell. They leaked while in the original store-bought package well below the Best-before date. They wanted to know if I wanted replacement batteries or a coupon to get more. I told them I wanted nothing since their batteries leak without even being used.

I'm trying different brands. Rayovac seems okay. So far.

...

My understanding is that alkaline batteries are at MUCH GREATER risk of leaking once they discharge. There's a non-linear curve. At some point, the risk gets greater and greater.

Of course, the best course of action is to just remove the batteries if you know the device won't be used for an extended period of time. And if that's not an option, then at least put fresh batteries in.

And obviously, don't install carbon-zinc type batteries - you're just begging for damage. Stick to alkaline, at a minimum.

I recall when manufacturers guaranteed them against leaking then it would seem to me that they found a newer cheaper process but that made a much less reliable product. Any that would revert to the earlier process would scoop the pool for a while.

Maybe like various brands of washing machines; they now all come from the same giant factory in China.

I had Ray-O-Vac batteries leak. The big difference is the guarantee. Duracell sent me a $100 check and Ray-O-Vac sent me nothing because they wanted me to mail them the old clock to prove the damage and rather than replace it they stated they could "repair" it at their option. Once contacts have been damaged by battery leakage they will forever tend to crud up and need continual cleaning. There is no repair.

I had the same problem. I took a saw to the aluminum case and was able to get part of one battery to show that was a Duracell and sent them the photo. They replaced the light, no questions asked.

Big problem is that many devices won't take NiMH. Things like power monitors and remote temperature displays show "dead battery" warning. They run for a few days then stop working.

How do you deal with overdischarge? I have a flashlight that runs happily down to 0.7V.

For a while, back in 2005/2006, I was selling and testing pinball games and video games made by Williams around 1980 and that had then been packed away sealed up. They all used alkaline batteries - both Duracell and EverReady. I found no real difference in leakage rates for these batteries - both brands failed a couple of times out of about 20 or so New Old Stock games that had the batteries - and were stored in circuit (mostly for CMOS 5101 RAMs) for about 26 years. Still have a few of the batteries that had a charge after all those years (36 now) somewhere in my shop.

John :-#)#

I only know of one brand that's better--Panasonic. All the others leak, and nearly 100% do if you leave a discharged cell in place for any lengthy period of time.

The 99 Cent Store had Panasonic "PowerEdge for Digital Cameras" oxy-alkaline (low-impedance cells, incorporating nickel somehow, IIRC), p/n ZR-6PA/4B for sale, and I bought hundreds.

That was about 2004-ish. The project I bought them for never happened.

They expired in 2007! I still have the cells. I've used hundreds. I still use them daily, they still work, and apart from the occasional

After all this time I've found I think three that had gone a little fuzzy in their original package. Not one has ever leaked in service.

Their seals are the best I've ever seen. Absolutely superb.

I don't know if this transfers to Panasonic's latest offerings...

Cheers, James Arthur

I've heard the same, and it makes sense. Battery discharge is essentially a corrosive process.

I noticed today that the Energizer Max battery data sheets and warranty take this into account. Shelf life is stated as 10 years _if_unused_.

The warranty covers leaks _if_ the leaks occur within two years of the batteries being fully discharged.

Energizer now has a new line of "Eco smart" alkalines, for which this two-year limit doesn't apply. Better sealing technology, apparently.

They also guarantee that their lithium primary batteries won't leak.

Yup.

My recollection is that the damage is usually worse with carbon-zinc, due to the acidity of the electrolyte.

Common problem. Digital cameras tend to be murder on alkalines.

I looked at the spec sheet for the Energizer Max AA alkalines, and wasn't surprised to see two things therein:

(1) Energizer says these batteries are recommended for low and medium levels of current drain, up to and including "photo-flash". They are not recommended for digital cameras, which are at the top of the current-demand list.

(2) Their rated capacity falls off very badly at high discharge rates. Pull 25 mA continuously and you get around 2800 mAh before they drop to 0.8 volts. Pull 500 mA from them, and you get about half that much.

Most protected LiIon cells have low-voltage cut-outs. Those would save the cell, but might leave you suddenly in the dark.

Years ago many LiIon cell controllers would latch in the "disconnect" state. Dunno if that's still the case. I'd just override them by charging the cell gently, directly, until the UVLO reset.

Cheers, James Arthur

Except they don't (batteries or washing machines).

I don't know where you get your eneloops, but here one NiMH is a tiny fraction of the cost of the 500 alkalines it replaces.

why pay so much?

NT

In the last 5 or so years, I've had two leak. One was laying on the bench and the other was in a remote.

But, I am not sure the if latest batchs are affected.

I suggest the eneloop replacements too.

Cheers