Duracell alkaline batteries seem to have a bad rap...

[Jwalling]

...according to discussions I've read in the internet. But this is really bad! Unopened package of AAAs with a use by date of 2016.

[Cyberdragon]

January 2016 maybe?

[Jwalling]

January 2016 maybe?

A self-destruct mechanism! How devious. 
I had always thought that leaking is much more likely to occur when the cells are dead. Maybe I'm wrong? 

[Blastcap]

Dollar store counterfeits?
Might even be genuine cells that was past date, and someone bought them up for next to nothing, repacked them and pushed them back on the market.

I know my local dollar store sells brand name batteries for 1/4 of normal price, as they are within a year of expiry.

[Ampera]

Honestly AA/AAA batteries deserve to die a quick death. Liion and NIMH tech has been here for a while, and they already come in AA/AAA forms. They are just a waste of money.

[Jwalling]

Dollar store counterfeits?
Might even be genuine cells that was past date, and someone bought them up for next to nothing, repacked them and pushed them back on the market.

I know my local dollar store sells brand name batteries for 1/4 of normal price, as they are within a year of expiry.

They don't look counterfeit. They are each individually dated March 2016.
I threw out the 3 leaking ones and measured the remaining - they are all above 1.51VDC

[IanB]

This is a safety feature: "pre-leaked batteries". Leaking in the package is safe, it saves them leaking in your devices and damaging them.

[PA0PBZ]

I threw out the 3 leaking ones and measured the remaining - they are all above 1.51VDC

Unless you can afford having them leak in whatever you are going to use them in throw them all out, it's too much of a risk.

[Fraser]

In my experience Duracell and The Industrial version, Procell, are VERY prone to leaking. I have had many leak whilst in date and still in the box. Even more have leaked in valuable equipment well before the use by date and without being in a discharged state. Totally unacceptable.

I wrote to Gillette who own the Duracell and Procell and they just offer replacement batteries and understandably will make no comment on the leakage and its cause. They did not leak so easily many years ago but seem to have become quite a liability these days.

I have decided against ever using these Duracell and Procell cells again, and now buy the well respected (but cheap) Kodak Xtralife alkalines. I have yet to see one of those leak in my equipment.

Duracell & Procell should be used with great caution in my personal opinion and experience.

Fraser

[Zero999]

Dollar store counterfeits?
Might even be genuine cells that was past date, and someone bought them up for next to nothing, repacked them and pushed them back on the market.

I know my local dollar store sells brand name batteries for 1/4 of normal price, as they are within a year of expiry.

They don't look counterfeit. They are each individually dated March 2016.
I threw out the 3 leaking ones and measured the remaining - they are all above 1.51VDC

I'd be very tempted to throw them all away if I were you, unless you only intend to use them to power something very cheap.

[chris_leyson]

I spotted some Energizer MAX "No leaks Guaranteed" AA batteries a few months ago and was tempted to buy a packet. According to the Energizer website http://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/battery-leakage they will either repair or replace any equipment damaged by a leaking Energizer battery. From now on I will be using Energizer batteries, just in case.

[Jwalling]

Honestly AA/AAA batteries deserve to die a quick death. Liion and NIMH tech has been here for a while, and they already come in AA/AAA forms. They are just a waste of money.

What about for applications where self-discharge becomes an issue? Thermostats and electronic thermometers come to mind...

[Jwalling]

I'd be very tempted to throw them all away if I were you, unless you only intend to use them to power something very cheap.

Believe me, I have no intention of using them. Nor will I buy Duracell in the future. I know it's only a sample of one package of 16, but still...

[bitslice]

The Industrial version, Procell, are VERY prone to leaking.

That's been my experience too,
they ruined a nice torch, so more than a bit miffed.

If there is one thing I'd expect an industrial battery to do, then it is "never leak under any condition",
otherwise why bother?

[Jwalling]

The Industrial version, Procell, are VERY prone to leaking.

That's been my experience too,
they ruined a nice torch, so more than a bit miffed.

If there is one thing I'd expect an industrial battery to do, then it is "never leak under any condition",
otherwise why bother?

Maybe they're supposed to last longer. Till they leak, anyway. 

[Ampera]

Honestly AA/AAA batteries deserve to die a quick death. Liion and NIMH tech has been here for a while, and they already come in AA/AAA forms. They are just a waste of money.

What about for applications where self-discharge becomes an issue? Thermostats and electronic thermometers come to mind...

Regular AA batteries do that to. It's just that rechargeables do it faster. And unless you need to have it in an area where it has to last months without anybody touching it, you can always replace the batteries. If the device is location critical and you need it to hold a long charge without being touched, you wouldn't be using AA batteries for that application anyways. You would be using a proper liion/lipo solution 

[Jwalling]

The Industrial version, Procell, are VERY prone to leaking.

That's been my experience too,
they ruined a nice torch, so more than a bit miffed.

If there is one thing I'd expect an industrial battery to do, then it is "never leak under any condition",
otherwise why bother?

Maybe they're supposed to last longer. Till they leak, anyway. 

I posted a link to this thread on Usenets S.E.R.
One fellow replied that his 9V Procell actually exploded when shorted.
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/Duracell/slides/Duracell-03.html

[edavid]

I spotted some Energizer MAX "No leaks Guaranteed" AA batteries a few months ago and was tempted to buy a packet. According to the Energizer website http://www.energizer.com/about-batteries/battery-leakage they will either repair or replace any equipment damaged by a leaking Energizer battery. From now on I will be using Energizer batteries, just in case.

Duracell has (and as far as I know has always had) the same guarantee:

"If not completely satisfied with your Duracell battery product, call 1-800-551-2355 (9:00AM – 5:00PM EST). Duracell guarantees its batteries against defects in materials and workmanship. Should any device be damaged due to a battery defect, we will repair or replace it at our option. Leaking battery and damaged device must be provided as proof of claim. Duracell may deny claims of damage caused by misuse or modification of the batteries or device."

Also, I believe the Energizer guarantee applies to all their battery lines.

[edavid]

...according to discussions I've read in the internet. But this is really bad! Unopened package of AAAs with a use by date of 2016.

They shouldn't leak, but I think that means they were made 10 years ago 

[IanB]

What about for applications where self-discharge becomes an issue? Thermostats and electronic thermometers come to mind...

Either look for "clock" batteries, or look for generic batteries with no marketing fluff surrounding them such as Kodak, Sanyo, Sony, Panasonic, Fuji or other dollar store brands (Dollar Tree sells nice ones, but I forget the brand name).

Leaking of alkaline batteries is promoted by "high power" formulations. Avoid those and you will be much safer.

[TheBay]

This is quite a concern actually, I ordered some 9v batteries the other day and specifically picked "Duracell Industrial (the new name for Procell)
as I REALLY don't want leaks inside my test equipment, all my multimeters etc take 9v batteries and can be in there over a year.
I'm hoping these 9v are just button cells inside, but still worried after seeing this post, as the majority of these devices the batteries are screwed under a cover and only changed when I get
informed off a low battery, I don't want to keep checking them all the time!

I have never seen Alkaline batteries leak until recently. I bought a load of "Logik" batteries from Currys, a few packs of AA and AAA, ALL the AAA's eventually leaked in some expensive devices such as the remote controls for my Lutron dimmers, Logitech harmony remotes, decent LED torches, head torches etc, lost count. Really annoyed about it.

I made the assumption these must be real cheap nasty batteries and that's why Currys had them on offer or they are not actually Alkaline.
I was under the impression an Alkaline rarely leaked! I have seen loads of Zinc Chlorides leak.

[Monkeh]

9Vs rarely leak, if they do they usually contain it quite well.

Alkalines have always been a bit leaky, Duracell the most so IME.

[T3sl4co1l]

NiMH isn't suitable for all things.  Some items (usually old and/or poorly designed) can't deal with the lower voltage.  (On the other hand, that would be a legitimate use for a Batteroo!)  If there's a "state of charge" measurement, it won't be correct: it will always read low, and may cause shutdown before the NiMH is properly exhausted.

Note that there are two basic kinds of NiMH: those optimized for capacity (the most common kind, I think), and those optimized for life.

I have a set of Tenergy Centura's (basically, an off-brand Eneloop), which go for months at a time between uses, say in my digital camera.  A regular (high capacity) type self-discharges away within a month quite pitifully!

Tim

[Fraser]

With regard to Duracell/Procell 9V batteries I have witnessed the following failures on many occasions

1. Electrolyte leaks from cells and comes out of the top contact rivet centre. The equipment battery connector then loses corodes and at least one of its contacts comes off on the next battery change. Most annoying.

2. Bottom of battery bulges under at least one internal cell. Battery can become jammed in battery bay.

3. Battery suffers severe cell failure whilst on the storage shelf and blows a cell electrode out of the case bottom. Very messy ! I have found several in storage boxes that have done this. No idea y such a dramatic failure occurs at normal storage temperatures.

Note: A PP3 Alkaline contains 6 thin cylindrical cells very much like a AAAA cell. They do fail but containment  via the outer case of the battery is an added benefit.

Gillette told me that the failures in my Maglite torches were due to excessive axial compression loading on the cells seals caused by the strong spring used in such torches. That does not explain the many other  cell seal failures I have seen though.

Fraser

[Monkeh]

Note: A PP3 Alkaline contains 6 thin cylindrical cells very much like a AAAA cell. They do fail but containment  via the outer case of the battery is an added benefit.

They are often constructed of rectangular cells in plastic packages, also. I have never seen such types leak.



Zinc-crappy, err, carbon, on the left.