Chemistry: what is the white powder that leaks from alkaline cells?
Self-tutoring about everyday chemistry: the tutor wonders about alkaline cells.
The following is by my understanding.
This morning, I realized the cells (which together make up a single battery: see my post from March 12, 2017) in a device needed changing. It wasn’t totally surprising; said device needs them changed out every few years.
What was a little more surprising, yet we’ve probably all seen it, was that there was white powder around the terminals of the cells. In my memory, I’ve never seen it on the terminals of that particular device. I guess it can happen anywhere.
I’ve always wondered what that white powder is, and today I looked it up: it seems likely to be mainly potassium carbonate, along with potassium hydroxide, then perhaps oxides and hydroxides of zinc and/or manganese.
My understanding is that all those compounds, in that context, are relatively benign.
Source:
Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.