I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
been used in a couple years. I looked at them just now and a couple
of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
positive end. Anyone know what this substance is exactly? Is it
toxic and/or corrosive?
On Tue, 9 Feb 2010 01:17:57 -0800 (PST), "void.no.spam.com@gmail.com"
<void.no.spam.com@gmail.com> wrote:
> I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
> been used in a couple years. I looked at them just now and a couple
> of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
> positive end. Anyone know what this substance is exactly? Is it
> toxic and/or corrosive?
Probably a nickel salt. Don't eat it. Chuck the batteries.
BTW, NiMH batteries should never be stored in a discharged state.
snapper@mailinator.com wrote:
> On Tue, 9 Feb 2010 01:17:57 -0800 (PST), "void.no.spam.com@gmail.com"
> <void.no.spam.com@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
>> been used in a couple years. I looked at them just now and a couple
>> of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
>> positive end. Anyone know what this substance is exactly? Is it
>> toxic and/or corrosive?
>
> Probably a nickel salt. Don't eat it. Chuck the batteries.
Nickel salts tend to be green. It is usually a leak of the caustic KOH
electrolyte which reacts with CO2 to form carbonate. Yes it is corrosive
to internal fittings of cameras etc and could give you a caustic skin
burn if handled carelessly.
>
> BTW, NiMH batteries should never be stored in a discharged state.
>
Unfortunately their self discharge rate is quite high so after a few
months they are in a discharged state even if they started out fully
charged. Lower self discharge NiMH batteries are available too.
On 09/02/2010 09:17, void.no.spam.com@gmail.com wrote:
> I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
> been used in a couple years. I looked at them just now and a couple
> of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
> positive end. Anyone know what this substance is exactly? Is it
> toxic and/or corrosive?
The leakage will be Sodium or Potassium hydroxide solution, with
dissolved metal salts. On exposure to the atmosphere it will absorb CO2
and convert to Sodium/Potassium carbonate. The deposits are probably not
very kind to your skin (alkaline) and, but unlikely to cause any serious
problems in the quantities likely to be encountered unless you have a
Nickel sensitivity. While the leakage will not be corrosive to metal
battery connections, it can erode plastic housings, so be careful if you
re-use these batteries as it is evident that the seals have degraded and
future leaks are certain
On 09/02/2010 09:17, void.no.spam.com@gmail.com wrote:
> I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
> been used in a couple years. I looked at them just now and a couple
> of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
> positive end. Anyone know what this substance is exactly? Is it
> toxic and/or corrosive?
The leakage will be Sodium or Potassium hydroxide solution, with
dissolved metal salts. On exposure to the atmosphere it will absorb CO2
and convert to Sodium/Potassium carbonate. The deposits are probably not
very kind to your skin (alkaline) and, but unlikely to cause any serious
problems in the quantities likely to be encountered unless you have a
Nickel sensitivity. While the leakage will not be corrosive to metal
battery connections, it can erode plastic housings, so be careful if you
re-use these batteries as it is evident that the seals have degraded and
future leaks are certain
In Message-ID:<Eqacn.37445$Fm7.27709@newsfe16.iad> posted on Tue, 09 Feb 2010
10:04:22 +0000, Martin Brown wrote: Begin
>Lower self discharge NiMH batteries are available too.
I have several from various manufacturers but haven't had any of them long
enough to experience the leakage issue described. They're great to keep in the
P&S that doesn't get used too often so when you hear the screeching tires and
subsequent metallic crunch out in the street you can grab the camera and go get
a few shots without seeing the low-battery indicator.
Bart Bailey wrote:
> In Message-ID:<Eqacn.37445$Fm7.27709@newsfe16.iad> posted on Tue, 09 Feb 2010
> 10:04:22 +0000, Martin Brown wrote: Begin
>
>> Lower self discharge NiMH batteries are available too.
>
> I have several from various manufacturers but haven't had any of them long
> enough to experience the leakage issue described. They're great to keep in the
The main cause of leakage in rechargable batteries is down to abuse like
over charging and/or overheating leading to raised internal pressure.
> P&S that doesn't get used too often so when you hear the screeching tires and
> subsequent metallic crunch out in the street you can grab the camera and go get
> a few shots without seeing the low-battery indicator.
Sounds a bit scary if that happens more than once in a blue moon.
On Feb 9, 3:17*am, "void.no.spam....@gmail.com"
<void.no.spam....@gmail.com> wrote:
> I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
> been used in a couple years. *I looked at them just now and a couple
> of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
> positive end. *Anyone know what this substance is exactly? *Is it
> toxic and/or corrosive?
What brand, contact the maunfacturer for a free set.
>On Tue, 9 Feb 2010 01:17:57 -0800 (PST), "void.no.spam.com@gmail.com"
><void.no.spam.com@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
>> been used in a couple years. I looked at them just now and a couple
>> of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
>> positive end. Anyone know what this substance is exactly? Is it
>> toxic and/or corrosive?
>
>Probably a nickel salt. Don't eat it. Chuck the batteries.
>
>BTW, NiMH batteries should never be stored in a discharged state.
A little bit of salt on the end of a battery does show it has vented some
contents over time, but this may not detract from its usefulness very much
if it can be charged again after a thorough cleaning. They may have had
nothing more happen to them than being subjected to higher temperatures in
a glove-box for one afternoon cause the venting. Or even an extreme
low-pressure weather situation might have been enough to override the
seal's tolerances to the molecular vapor-pressure of the contents.The seals
working as they should, sealing up again after venting. The fact that they
leaked once is no sign of them leaking again if not subjected to the same
environmental extremes.
Even if it has reversed polarity it can often be nudged into proper
polarity by briefly and intermittently applying a much higher voltage to
the poles, usually 12-15v of low amperage, ~300-500mA, is enough in the
case of reversed NiMHs. They will then continue to accept a full charge for
many years. With difficult to find button-cells that often have this
salt-accumulation happen, I will dissolve the salts under some warm running
water, clean the narrow insulator strip where they accumulated to prevent
further discharge in humid conditions, and still continue using that
battery for many years. My Olympus OM2n depends on difficult to find button
cells. After the last battery-salts cleaning about 8 years ago the metering
system and shutter still work today on the same ones.
My photography has taken me to many remote locations where the closest
you'll come to a battery is an acidic fruit with copper and pyrite nuggets
accidentally stuck in it. I have had to find ways to resurrect whatever I
already had available. I also don't believe in the typical consumerism's
throw-away idiocy.
I have a set here that seem to have gone almost completely short circuit.
Don't think they have been abused or anything. Tripple a, but cannot read
the maker, came from cpc about 2 years ago.
Brian
--
Brian Gaff - briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"ransley" <Mark_Ransley@Yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:13f75e48-7080-487f-9edd-e30140e7ed2c@z26g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
On Feb 9, 3:17 am, "void.no.spam....@gmail.com"
<void.no.spam....@gmail.com> wrote:
> I had a few NiMH AA batteries sitting around in storage that hadn't
> been used in a couple years. I looked at them just now and a couple
> of them were leaking a white crystalline-like substance from the
> positive end. Anyone know what this substance is exactly? Is it
> toxic and/or corrosive?
What brand, contact the maunfacturer for a free set.
Leaking NiMH batteries 
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