Why did batteries from 20 years ago corrode and ruin electronics and why doesn’t this happen anymore?
In: 0
batteries got better, but they can still leak or swell or catch fire if you misuse them. I have old AA’s leaking all the time.
There was a big scandal few years ago about batteries in hoverboards catching fire, to the point that hoverboards were banned from subway trains.
Still happens to all the Duracells I buy from Costco.(I’ve stop buying them) Leave it in some device, it usually corrodes or leaks after some time, usually less than a year. Never happens to energizers nor off brands either.
It does happen these days. However, these days people use batteries less than they did (heavily used stuff tends to have rechargeable batteries these days).
Additionally, most shops tends to sell the more expensive alkaline batteries these days. Alkaline batteries don’t corrode and leak except very rarely.
Historically, when more batteries were sold, people would often buy the cheapest they could get – things like zinc-carbon batteries. In these batteries, the battery casing actually dissolves to produce the power. When depleted, there is not much metal left, and if you leave them, then they often develop holes and leak.
So, imagine the situation, you have a kids toy, you’ve put the cheapest batteries you could get in it, because, well it’s a stupid toy. The toy gets used, the battery drains and it goes on the shelf and gets forgotten about. While it is sitting on the self, the wafer thin battery corrodes and all the goo leaks out
Alkaline batteries last much longer (about 6x as long as a zinc carbon battery) and the battery casing doesn’t dissolve during use. Big brands like energiser, duracell, etc. made their name on alkaline batteries, so if you buy one of these brands, it’s likely an alkaline battery you are getting (or a modern alternative like lithium which is even better performing, but even more expensive).
About 20 years ago, the most popular and effective battery was an alkaline battery. They are made of a number of chemicals, some of which would [become caustic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_battery#Leaks) when exposed to air. The reason is in the article, but the ELI5 is that cheap batteries can not be built strong enough to resist everything that will happen to it over time so they will eventually break a little and then leak. Once they start leaking, those caustic chemicals will convert copper into crystals, ruining the circuits. This will happen faster if electricity is going through the copper at the time, which is why it affects a circuit more than just the parts closest to the battery.
Alkaline batteries still leak and still ruin electronics. The problem is the dielectric the batteries are made with. The liquid in the battery leaks out and corroded metal.
If you can find dry cell batteries, they do not have the corrosive fluid inside them and do not leak. Those are perfect for devices like remote controls that sit on a table for long times and do not need high energy density or super long life.
Modern electronics use different battery chemistry which does not contain the alkaline fluid. I have seen devices the use internal lipo batteries that charge from a usb port instead of using AA batteries.
Latest Answers