On Tue, 4 Oct 2016 13:56:54 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

The difference between Duracell/Eveready/US-Made batteries is
that if the units kill something, the Manufacturer will replace
or pay. I received a check for $378 and change, representing
the cost of a Geiger Counter that I purchased for $50 at
surplus, when a pair of Eveready batteries self-destructed inside.
They even refunded the cost of shipping the unit to them.

Impressive. I managed to get about $20 from Eveready and $30 from
Mallory for trashing various Maglites. I've filed a few random claims
over the years, that usually get disappeared by the manufacturer.

Otherwise, one is SOL and deserves _exactly_ what one gets.

Really? You seem ready to accept failure as inevitable and
inexorable. I think otherwise.

Ever wonder why there are alkaline cells around that live a normal and
useful life well beyond their expected lifetime? I've seen plenty of
really old alkaline batteries that simply discharged their coulombs
gracefully without a hint of leakage. Perhaps I'm using more alkaline
batteries these days, but I don't seem to recall such massive a
leakage problem during the 1970's. I certainly don't recall seeing
any leak in the original packaging.

It might also be useful for you to consider the possibility that the
leakage problem might be artificial and might easily be fixed by
better sealing methods or construction methods. This explains the
failure mechanism (hydrogen gas outgassing rupturing the vent seal).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_battery#Leaks
Now how hard would it be to make a better seal, or direct the gas away
from the electrolyte? I would be tempted to conjure a conspiracy
theory that this failure mode is intentional, since it sells plenty of
batteries. Why fix something that produces sales?

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558