Battery leakage

The leakage of battery chemical often causes destructive corrosion to the associated equipment and may pose a health hazard.

[3] Anecdotal evidence suggests that zinc–carbon battery leakage can be effectively cleaned with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

Alkaline batteries are considerably more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and more shelf-stable than zinc–carbon batteries—five to ten years, when stored room temperature.

[5] After an alkaline battery has been spent, or as it reaches the ends of its shelf life, the chemistry of its cells change, and hydrogen gas is generated as a byproduct.

[6] Alkaline battery leakage can be effectively neutralized with lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.

[9] They replaced the metallic cadmium electrode with a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, allowing it to have over two times the capacity of Ni-Cd batteries while being easier to recycle.

By 1995, most motherboard manufacturers switched to non-rechargeable lithium button cells to keep the BIOS chip powered.