EEVblog #1349 - Energizer Battery Leakage - MADE IN USA

[EEVblog]

Dave caught a rare sight, an alkaline battery leakage in the potassium hydroxide liquid form before it had time to crystalise.
This time in a Made in USA Energizer Max Plus AAA alkaline battery.

[SilverSolder]

It is pathetic that these clowns can't make an alkaline battery fit for purpose...

Shoddy products, from greedy and shoddy people.

[WizardTim]

I had exactly the same liquid leak happen with an Energizer Advanced 'MADE IN U.S.A.' (not Max Plus) about 4 months ago. It wasn’t even installed in a product just in a plastic battery tray in a drawer and it hadn’t expired either (2023) and still had a good charge!

Interestingly Energizer guarantees they won’t leak even if you discharge them fully and leave them in a device for 2 years. They come with a 12-year shelf life which means those were manufactured in 2019-12 so those have definitely failed to meet their spec. I wonder if pursuing their device repair/replacement program for damaged products would make an interesting video? Won't be surprised if you get fobbed off because either batteries were purchased in a different region or you don't have proof of purchase.

Apart from that I've had countless alkalines leak and ruin things, but never had a primary lithium or NiMH leak But I have had a ~22 year old Li-ion 18650 leak.

[Barny]

I only had Duracell and Varta leak on me.
(Varta Primary Cells, NiCd and Car Battery)

[BravoV]

These photos was taken on 2013, and was still carry charge (measured when loaded). 


The casualities, my Fluke 287 ... 

[Kleinstein]

I have seen liquid leakage, though not as bad as this one. AFAIR it were either Energizer or Shop brand ones ("Aerocell").
Usually leakage is much slower and when the cells are rather old.
The white snowy crystals are not just water evaporating, but it takes a reaction with CO2 from the air to form carbonates. The pure KOH is very hygroscopic and will not so easy let go of the water, unless you are in a very dry environment (maybe central Australia).

[dcac]

About 10 years ago I bought a 20 pack GP branded AA alkaline batteries. About 4-5 of these starting leaking liquid after a couple months usage - all in low current consumption devices - and in indoor temperatures.

I first noticed it on my Casio FX-80 calculator - the outside of the battery door was all wet and it even dripped liquid on the table. Luckily the leakage had probably only been going a couple of days - so a mess to clean up but yet it had not started to corrode anything and the calculator was fine after cleaning.

I then suddenly remembered I also used those batteries in my vintage pinball machines for memory backup on the motherboards. For those who perhaps don’t know - about 99.9% of all vintage solid state pinball machines have - at some point in time - suffered damage on the motherboards from leaking PCB mounted NiCDs - just as many other PCBs using that type of batteries. So this is a well known problem and you always should remove those batteries and i.e. replace with small wire connected battery holders so any leakage cannot reach the board. Although this isn’t perfectly foolproof either as leakage even can creep inside the wires and reach the board that way. But anyway, you normally use regular batteries + a diode, because for home usage the machine usually are not powered on long enough to adequately charge rechargeable.

I then even had placed the battery holders in small plastic zip bags - and yes in 2 out of 4 bags there were battery liquid.

Since then I have never bought any GP (Great P!ss!ng) batteries again. But yeah I know it’s not as simple as that thinking you should just avoid a specific brand.

[wizard69]

It is pathetic that these clowns can't make an alkaline battery fit for purpose...

Shoddy products, from greedy and shoddy people.

Every alkaline battery I've tried has leaked on me, it really doesn't matter who makes them.   That is one of the reasons why I ask Dave if his new meter takes rechargeable lithiums.   In fact I can't even imagine why the likes of Fluke, Keysight, or other high end test equipment manufacture, would even make instruments taking these batteries.    For me it is just an example of half assed design to use alkalines on high end equipment anymore.

If it sounds like I have a powerful hate for alkaline batteries it is because I do hate them with an enhanced passion.    Over the years I've tried all sort of things to get ahead of the curve, for awhile I even made it a practice to change every battery in every device I owned on my birthday.    B-day was battery day!!!!.    That didn't work either, still ended up losing flashlights, a thermostat, radios and other hardware to battery leakage.    Don't even get me started on issues at work.   So yeah if there is a technology that just needs to die, Alkaline batteries is at the top of the list.

[SilverSolder]

It is pathetic that these clowns can't make an alkaline battery fit for purpose...

Shoddy products, from greedy and shoddy people.

Every alkaline battery I've tried has leaked on me, it really doesn't matter who makes them.   That is one of the reasons why I ask Dave if his new meter takes rechargeable lithiums.   In fact I can't even imagine why the likes of Fluke, Keysight, or other high end test equipment manufacture, would even make instruments taking these batteries.    For me it is just an example of half assed design to use alkalines on high end equipment anymore.

If it sounds like I have a powerful hate for alkaline batteries it is because I do hate them with an enhanced passion.    Over the years I've tried all sort of things to get ahead of the curve, for awhile I even made it a practice to change every battery in every device I owned on my birthday.    B-day was battery day!!!!.    That didn't work either, still ended up losing flashlights, a thermostat, radios and other hardware to battery leakage.    Don't even get me started on issues at work.   So yeah if there is a technology that just needs to die, Alkaline batteries is at the top of the list.

Thing is, I bet if the EEVblog had a "Design an AA Alkaline Battery" thread, people on this board would come up with a better product than what is available from the mainstream manufacturers in just a few weeks.

I mean, seriously, how hard can it be if some good engineers really put their minds to solving this problem?  One idea:  put a small "buffer space" inside the cell to absorb leaks before it reaches the outside world.  -  Some kind of chemical approach in a buffer zone.

They just aren't trying, because they have externalised the costs of the shoddyness...   most people can't be bothered to claim for the damages. 

[jakezilla]

I've got a 4 year old and a 3 year old, so I don't know if it is just because I'm dealing with more batteries these days, or if it is actually a trend, but I've been seeing a lot more leakage recently. I only use Duracell or Energizer. (Please stop buying store brand, people. They are cheaper, but their $/W is way higher.) I know vinegar should clean it up nice, but I like adding some baking soda to relive my science experiment days, and it seems to fizz/neutralize the leakage better.

Slightly more worrying, I've had 2 batteries pop recently. About a year ago I was holding our Vizio TV remote with Energizer AAA's in it, and one of the batteries popped. If you are familiar with the remote, the whole back cover comes off to expose the battery compartment. The pop was so strong it blew open the remote. It was a very WTF moment. For Halloween we have a set of glowing eyes that hang in the window. This year, just before the 31st, my wife said she heard a "pop-fizz"... Later that night when the eyes weren't glowing, I opened it to find the Duracell C cells and a bunch of gross liquid.

Is this actually a trend? Did something change in the manufacturing process?

[BravoV]

Another lesson on buying only primary lithium (unfortunately, very expensive here in China due to no local manufacturers of those batteries) or NiMH, which is my new favorite.

How about Camelion ? -> http://www.camelionbattery.com/en/Index.aspx

I thought its Chinese or Hong Kong based ? 

I've been using Camelion Lithium primary and also their D sized NiMH cells without any problem and work out great  , as Eneloop no longer produced C and D NiMH.

Camelion Lithium primary still less expensive than Energizer Lithium, at least at where I live.

Few of my Camelion cells, 9V Lithium and D sized NiMH.

[SilverSolder]

[...] How about Camelion ? [...]

I have never heard of Camelion, looks like some of their products are available on Amazon in the US (couldn't find the C or D size NiMH though).

[cdev]

I just had an AAA battery, from Amazon that was dated 2027 start to leak.

That's right, its use by date was still 7 years in the future and it was literally about to destroy my super-bright LED (CatEye opticube) bike light.

I am so glad I caught it. It was also liquid but nowhere near as bad as yours. It was just beginning to leak. I did take a photo which is still in my camera.

It's evil to put a date so far into the future on them when they know damn well they will leak long before that.


F***k

I am literally desperate for a way to avoid/prevent this. I have taken to only putting batteries in most of my devices when I am using them and when I am done, taking them out, its that bad. But its hard to get in the habit of doing that and I've lost or almost lost SO many devices by battery leakage.

Why did old batteries last a long time and new ones suck so bad?

Dave caught a rare sight, an alkaline battery leakage in the potassium hydroxide liquid form before it had time to crystalise.
This time in a Made in USA Energizer Max Plus AAA alkaline battery.

[SilverSolder]

I just had an AAA battery, from Amazon that was dated 2027 start to leak.

That's right, its use by date was still 7 years in the future and it was literally about to destroy my super-bright LED (CatEye opticube) bike light.

I am so glad I caught it. It was also liquid but nowhere near as bad as yours. It was just beginning to leak. I did take a photo which is still in my camera.

It's evil to put a date so far into the future on them when they know damn well they will leak long before that.


F***k

I am literally desperate for a way to avoid/prevent this. I have taken to only putting batteries in most of my devices when I am using them and when I am done, taking them out, its that bad. But its hard to get in the habit of doing that and I've lost or almost lost SO many devices by battery leakage.

Why did old batteries last a long time and new ones suck so bad?

Dave caught a rare sight, an alkaline battery leakage in the potassium hydroxide liquid form before it had time to crystalise.
This time in a Made in USA Energizer Max Plus AAA alkaline battery.

Would NiMH rechargeables work in your bike light?

[cdev]

They leak less, but I always f**k them up by not using them for a long time. In things like a rechargeable toothbrush they last for years. Its similar with other kinds of rechargeable batteries. What I don't understand is why alkaline batteries have gotten so much worse at leaking over the years.

[SilverSolder]

They leak less, but I always fuck them up by not using them for a long time. In things like a rechargeable toothbrush they last for years.

I put primary lithium batteries in the LED torch in my car (glovebox), just so I can trust it works on the cold, dark night when I'll need it! 

Probably any infrequent-use medium power application is a candidate for a lithium battery?

[cdev]

I'd pay more to get a light duty battery that lasted a decade or more.

[james_s]

Lithium primary cells do last a decade or more.

I've been very impressed with eneloop NiMH though, I have them in all of my flashlights including the ones that I keep in my car and the little AAA Maglite I keep in my backpack for emergency use. I've had them sit multiple years untouched and still have a substantial charge. I don't by disposable alkalines anymore, haven't for years.

[Cyberdragon]

I had a battery spew in front of me in an open battery holder of an electronics kit as a kid. I noticed a weird drop of white liquid on the table and wondered where it came from and assumed it was from the glass of milk I was drinking. When I came back I heard the circuit's motor surging weirdly then stop and there was a wet squirting/fizzing sound and the batteries were spewing fluid (gross overload?).

Best thing to do with an active battery leak is just grab the leaky cells with something where you don't touch them and wrap them up in something absorbant like a tissue or paper towel to prevent further spillage. If it's fresh enough you can just wipe it up.

[BravoV]

How about Camelion ? -> http://www.camelionbattery.com/en/Index.aspx

Seems to be a local Shenzhen brand. Ordered 8 pcs just now, and will test them soon. Never heard of this, thanks for letting me know this player in this market.

My pleasure, assuming you are buying their AA or AAA Lithium, let us know how it perform, especially on high drain application, as I just used their 9V cells only, all my AAs or AAAs are Eneloop.

[bw2341]

Why did old batteries last a long time and new ones suck so bad?

I had a vague recollection that the shift to mercury free formulations made newer batteries more leak prone. I couldn't find a definitive reference in a quick google, but here's a New Scientist article from 1989 about the use of mercury in alkaline batteries.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12416853-100-technology-dead-batteries-no-longer-need-to-leak-mercury/

[amc184]

Not long after this video I happened to pull out the Casio fx-9750G that I probably haven't used since university, and noticed liquid leaking out the battery compartment door.  These are (or were) Energizer Advanced, with a batch code of 1111A, and a use by date of 03-2018, so not really as bad.  Just one had leaked, and measured 0.03V, whereas the other three batteries still read 1.41V.  These batteries were in series, so I wonder if the small draw of the calculator (which is keeping a volatile memory going even when turned off) through the weakest of the four batteries driven by the other three batteries aggravates this.

Just like in Dave's case there was more liquid than crystals, and the label was whitened near the leak.

[BravoV]

My pleasure, assuming you are buying their AA or AAA Lithium, let us know how it perform, especially on high drain application, as I just used their 9V cells only, all my AAs or AAAs are Eneloop.

I don't know if I want to put them in my F289. They don't scream quality to me. They scream the sweet electrolyte odor even before (and I haven't yet) I open the package, and now I wonder if I should open them or return them.

Wow .. noted.

My 9V didn't ooze/have any odor though, and works fine at my 87V, and reading your post, instantly I jumped up  to check mine, looks fine and no sign corrosion at the battery tab nor the terminals.

Damn, I starting to worry. 

[adcurtin]

a few years ago I ran into a crazy leaking battery. I could hear a weird buzzing noise anywhere in the room. I tracked it down, and was surprised to find it was a leaking battery. who knows how long it was doing this for, I heard it maybe a couple days apart, but it could have been months.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/peLRBxZgK8BBJVVf6

[floobydust]

Why did old batteries last a long time and new ones suck so bad?

Supposedly it's due environmental regulations, but I say also due to cheap ass corporations refusing to spend money and fix their products.

This was in a research paper:
"Gas can form in all of these [alkaline] batteries due to the corrosion of zinc.  Zinc in the battery gets corroded into the electrolyte as the battery is used. This corrosion can cause electrolysis and can cause the generation of hydrogen gas in the canister. Build-up of hydrogen gas can cause the battery to leak, limiting the ability of the battery to function.  Mercury suppresses this zinc corrosion, which is why it is added..."

The mercury ban means evolved hydrogen buildup is now a problem, the batteries need to "burp" without spewing electrolyte, but no seal can do that for $0.0000001
The plastic piston seal is a thin ring of bitumen, nothing else really can take the super caustic KOH. It's very hard on materials. I'm not sure bitumen is even used lately.

Duracell are absolutely the worst alkaline battery I've seen for leaking. When you phone them and bitch that your 289 got killed, they were just baffled. No battery goes in anything over $10 according to them. Remote control, toy, flashlight - that's all they might cover.

Regarding mega conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, please refer to the chart showing how many Duracell batteries are leaking in the world lol