What is that whiteish stuff on bad batteries (ruins stuff)?

It's a mixture of potassium hydroxide and potassium carbonate.

Check this article.

Thane

Potassium Hydroxide - an alkaline (Alkaline batteries after all). Wash off with a mild solution (50/50) of white vinegar and water, scrub, and rinse with clean water carefully.

John :-#)#

What kind of device that won't let you get near it?

Caig DeOxit might help. I got some for a 1/8 phono jack, and surprise surprise! Seems to help a lot. Might help with battery corrosion, also.

Ebay for about $15 shipped. Well worth it, in my case.

Caig DeOxit is the electronic technicians holy water.

That was an interesting article, which also said that it could be a mixture of ammonium chloride and manganese dioxide in the comments.

It seems that lemon juice or vinnegar (ie weak acids) are the way to clean it up chemically, based on that article.

That article was nice, but I'm always suspicious when someone suggests idiotic things such as "pure water" (goes with "kosher salt" in my book, or with "organic eggs", etc.).

The MSDS is one of the most generic I have ever seen.

No telling what it's made of.

The MSDS didn't say what it's made of. Any idea?

The AA battery was in a deep slot where you can't get a finger or brush easily in there to clean the alkali, but you can get a liquid (such as vinegar in there).

Oh, fine, then de-ionized distilled water if you want to get picky ;-).

It rarely makes much difference, at least for those of us who have rain water as our supply (mountain runoff). If you have well water then the alkalies in it could exacerbate the problem...

Consider that you have thin copper traces on your PCBs and they are made by etching a coating of copper film with an alkaline solution to generate the traces needed...you thus want to neutralize any alkaline remaining (so no more etching occurs) and a mild acid is pretty good at that. CLR works in a pinch...

John :-#)#

You want to let it soak in for a while, and using a wooden skewer or similar to dislodge any caked material is good...

Then rinse well with water (pure/distilled if possible, rain water is not bad, well water may not be good).

John :-#)#

Yah, organic eggs, ROFLMAO!

Chickens fed GMO food (marinated in glyphosate) and tons of antibiotics are much better for your gut microbiome and autoimmune system. You'll be fine, just take your pharmaceuticals.

It's a mild organic acid dissolved in naptha, or something close to that.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

I don't think I have ever heard of an "organic acid". Any examples of mild organic acids you know of?

Depending on the size of the slot, you might be able to use BBs.

I do that when I need to get the inside of a jug clean and can't get a brush inside. Pour in a handful of BBs and a little water and dish detergent, and swirl it around.

The standard BBs are steel, you can get 300 or so for $1.

Citric, or ascorbic.

What, chemically, is that whiteish crumbly powder on bad batteries?

We all have seen it, and most of the time you can just brush it off, but I have it on a device deep inside that I can't get a brush on without breaking stuff.

I'd like to use a solvent (I already tried water but I want to do a better job) that dissolves the stuff so knowing the chemistry might help.

Do you have any idea what the chemical composition of that stuff is?

I believe it is faerie cum.

I've used a Qtip dipped in tap water to remove the most of these deposits. Vinegar should be used cautiously as acids may attack the metals used in the battery contacts in the device you're trying to clean up.

Thane

| That article was nice, but I'm always suspicious when someone suggests | idiotic things such as "pure water" (goes with "kosher salt" in my book, | or with "organic eggs", etc.).

That's quite a lot to lump into one category. Are you sure your salt doesn't have "yellow prussiate of soda"? (cyanide salt) Do you really think it makes no difference what livestock eat? Where would you draw that line? If you don't care about such things then what is food?

There's a difference between being a ninny and being attentive. But I would agree about "pure water". That sounds like the menu item made from "Baby Yukon Gold tubers, fresh dairy milk, genuine Himalayan ghee and a trace of finest Italian parsley" -- mashed potatoes. :)