On Fri, 25 Mar 2016 14:32:00 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 25 Mar 2016 13:34:52 -0400, wrote:

Can't remember, and didn't take any notes. Sorry.
It's been my experience "most" leakers are well past their "best
before" date and/or have been left either significantly discharged or
in high temperature storage conditions for some time. (or possible
suffered a "hard freeze")

I never knew freezing had any effect ? ? ?

From the "battery university" site
Alkaline batteries are easy to store. For best results, keep the cells
at cool room temperature and at a relative humidity of about 50
percent. Do not freeze alkaline cells, or any battery, as this may
change the molecular structure.

From Energizer:
1. Is it a good idea to store batteries in a refrigerator or freezer?

No, storage in a refrigerator or freezer is not required or
recommended for batteries produced today. Cold temperature storage can
in fact harm batteries if condensation results in corroded contacts or
label or seal damage due to extreme temperature storage. To maximize
performance and shelf life, store batteries at normal room
temperatures (68°F to 78°F or 20°C to 25°C) with moderated humidity
levels (35 to 65% RH).

Notice the reference to "seal damage" - which can cause leakage.

From the tool Guyd site:
In general, alkaline batteries perform very poorly in cold weather. As
alkaline batteries are engineered with a water-based electrolyte, cold
near-freezing point temperatures can lead to reduced ion mobility
which slows down the chemical reactions that provide electrical
battery power. This leads to a drop in performance, runtime, or both.


In some cases, cold temperatures can cause alkaline batteries to burst
and leak.