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Long life batteries
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bdunham7:

--- Quote from: MK14 on February 03, 2022, 06:04:44 pm ---Presumably, it wouldn't cost much to make them leak proof.

--- End quote ---

It could probably be done with a reduced capacity.  For example, a C-cell within a D-cell case, surrounded by absorbent material and sealed somehow to allow for some leakage an expansion between the inner and outer cases without anything escaping the outer case.  But then it would be considered an underperforming product.
IanB:
I've mentioned before in various threads that I think leaking correlates with more active chemistry, in pursuit of higher power outputs. When the chemicals are more active, they are more likely to react and produce hydrogen when the battery is sitting there doing nothing.

I've had far fewer leakage problems with lower power, "ordinary" alkaline batteries than with big name brands. Look for something called a "clock battery". Such is designed to sit in a clock for a year at a time with no expectation of leaking and ruining the clock. It can be done.
MK14:

--- Quote from: bdunham7 on February 03, 2022, 06:22:16 pm ---
--- Quote from: MK14 on February 03, 2022, 06:04:44 pm ---Presumably, it wouldn't cost much to make them leak proof.

--- End quote ---

It could probably be done with a reduced capacity.  For example, a C-cell within a D-cell case, surrounded by absorbent material and sealed somehow to allow for some leakage an expansion between the inner and outer cases without anything escaping the outer case.  But then it would be considered an underperforming product.

--- End quote ---

For me, it would be a worthwhile, trade off. If I really needed the higher capacity, and it was a very cheap item, like a £2.99/$3.99 Torch (Flashlight), it probably would be easily worth the trade off. But not in a £500/$650 higher end, Multimeter.

I've found Energiser, to be pretty good (either not leak, or rarely leak). But I suspect the relatively moderate temperatures we experience in the UK, is also part of the reason, why we (or me at least), seem to suffer less from this problem, than other countries. I.e. In hotter countries, that could be a factor, in the deteriorating battery chemistries and/or speed up the problem, considerably.
If it is a very expensive item, I try to stick to rechargeable batteries (Eneloop and similar).

Another thing, I always try and buy genuine batteries (e.g. Amazon is the seller, not third party or Ebay, when possible/practicable). As fakes is another possible reason why some batteries are worse than others.
MK14:

--- Quote from: IanB on February 03, 2022, 06:50:06 pm ---I've mentioned before in various threads that I think leaking correlates with more active chemistry, in pursuit of higher power outputs. When the chemicals are more active, they are more likely to react and produce hydrogen when the battery is sitting there doing nothing.

I've had far fewer leakage problems with lower power, "ordinary" alkaline batteries than with big name brands. Look for something called a "clock battery". Such is designed to sit in a clock for a year at a time with no expectation of leaking and ruining the clock. It can be done.

--- End quote ---

Thanks for the tip (clock type). I must try that. I have to admit, in my case, what usually cases the problem. Is that there is some item, which I have stopped using for some reason, and I've forgotten to take the batteries out and/or the reduction of usage of the item, was an extremely slow affair and/or I put it away (in a drawer or something), with the batteries still inside. Then come back to the item, perhaps 5 years later, and find the battery compartment has gone completely mad with corrosion, and I'm briefly annoyed with myself for forgetting to remove the old batteries inside it.
Risk factors seem to be multiple batteries (as they seem to be able to get one or more cells to go at or below 0 volts, which seems to make leaking more likely), AAA worse than AA (maybe because they have thinner walls), once batteries go flat, they seem significantly more likely to leak, and really should be removed. 9V seem safer, but I recently had a leaky 9V (PP3), so even those seem to go, sometimes.

Fortunately, the vast bulk of the time, the items can be repaired if required. But if the corrosion (battery chemicals), reaches the PCB, then that can wreak havoc, and make repair, extremely difficult or not practicable, if extensive damage has occurred. Especially if it was Ni-cads involved (which is a slightly different subject area).
Rick Law:

--- Quote from: MK14 on February 03, 2022, 03:05:08 pm ---
--- Quote from: G7PSK on February 03, 2022, 02:39:46 pm ---Another victim of investment trust companies, Hanson's were very much the darling of Margret Thatcher while she was PM. Now that it is Energiser they are not much if any better than Duracell both brands are trying to get the first prize for the race to the bottom.

--- End quote ---

It just seems so crazy, these days. There is (hypothetically speaking) a successful, UK company. Which employs tens of thousands of happy, reasonably well paid, UK employees. All the suppliers, big customers, and end users, really like their company and its products, because of its reliably, consistent quality, and nice business ethnics.
The company then gets (perhaps a 'hostile') takeover. The government here, shrugs their shoulders and says "business is business, we won't do anything about the hostile takeover". After the takeover, many employees leave and/or get fired made redundant. Production (despite previous promises), gets moved abroad. The product prices keep on going up and up, the product quality keeps on going down, less economically viable (but highly useful/popular items), get silently/suddenly dropped from the product line.
In some cases even the pension fund, is damaged or worse.

This is easily experienced in the food industry, by just trying their "new, and improved recipe" (where new=cheaper/worse ingredients and improved= means (lower/cheaper priced) raw ingredients). Which typically tastes worse, compared to the original product.

--- End quote ---

One more factor to consider:

The innovating companies often are the small individually-owned or family-owned businesses.  Both Ever Ready and Duracell have a history tied to the P.R. Mallory company which was started by an individual name Mallory.  P.R. Mallory company made batteries for Ever Ready in the early 1900's and then later created their own.  Duracell was a registered trademark of P.R. Mallory Company1.

Individual/Family owned businesses are affected by one more factor - inheritance laws.  While I am not sure if this relates to the P.R. Mallory company, Duracell, or Ever Ready, but it sure did affected a lot of small businesses and no doubt some are innovative technology companies.

Case and Point: There was a law that held inheritance tax down to earth level, it was due to expire and inheritance tax will go back up to 50% of inheritance.  Then candidate Obama announced that if he was elected he would not renew the law.  When he was elected (2008), there was quite a sell-out of small companies prior to law expiration.

Reference:
[1] Company history of Duracell's named P.R. Mallory Co's as the predecessor of Duracell here:
https://www.company-histories.com/Duracell-International-Inc-Company-History.html
From P.R. Mallory Co's own company history, you can see they were a manufacturer for Ever Ready in the early 1900's.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._R._Mallory_and_Co_Inc
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