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[email protected] tabbypurr@gmail.com is offline
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Default Removing battery corrosion

On Sunday, 11 February 2018 10:53:57 UTC, wrote:
I got an old AM-FM pocket transistor radio which looked good and clean
till I opened the battery compartment. Very corroded carbon zinc
batteries were in it. After removing them, I cleaned off as much of the
corrosion as possible by scraping with a plastic stick, and scrubbing
with q-tips and rubbing alcohol. That got rid of most of it, and I was
surprised to find the battery clips are not badly damaged, but I had to
use a fingernail file (sandpaper strip) on the ends of the springs.

Better yet, the radio works perfectly.

But there is still a little of that battery corrosion still in there. In
all the years I've worked on electronics, I have never found a perfect
way to clean up leaked batteries. Is there some sort of spray or a
chemical that will dissolve or deactivate that crap?

Of course it has to be safe for the circuit board and components too. I
use the 91% isopropyl alcohol, so it evaporates quickly and leaves
little water residue behind. (Then leave it dry well before use).


I did one yesterday, got what I could off some bent flat strip with a screwdriver, got the remainder off with a grinder. A dishwasher is more often the suitable treatment, but as has been said there are some parts definitely not dishwashable. Speakers, unpotted relays, variable caps, paper caps, transformers, some other stuff.


NT