How To Fully Discharge Alkaline D Cells?

Want to fully discharge a few D cells before scavenging them for their button tops.

1. What is the best way to fully discharge a set of alkalines?
2. What precautions should I take before and as I removing the tops?

adamlau said:

Want to fully discharge a few D cells before scavenging them for their button tops.

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A similar idea has been crossing my mind. Fortunately I have a couple of batteries that somehow have discharged themselves without use so I don't need to specially discharge them.

1. What is the best way to fully discharge a set of alkalines?

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The best way is probably to get some use out of them in a flashlight so they are not totally wasted.

2. What precautions should I take before and as I removing the tops?

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I don't know that it matters so much. Wear gloves (sharp metal edges), eye protection (in case any bits go flying). Wash your hands afterwards.

I'd use super heavy duty cells myself. I took loads of those apart as a kid to get the carbon rods and zinc out of them and I'm still here. Alkalines have hydroxide electrolyte that could be caustic. Best not to get that on your hands.

I tried to harvest the ends of some Energiser D cells and the electrolite squirted out when I cut through the case. It burns when it comes in contact with skin. Duracell D's on the other hand have a paste inside them that doesn't squirt out.

In the end I gave up and used 2 pence peices for the ends of my battery pack

FatTony said:

I tried to harvest the ends of some Energiser D cells and the electrolite squirted out when I cut through the case. It burns when it comes in contact with skin. Duracell D's on the other hand have a paste inside them that doesn't squirt out.

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That's the reason to take apart zinc carbon heavy duty cells instead. Zinc carbons have a zinc case and carbon rod on the inside, but then they have a thin steel wrapper on the outside. You can peel off the outer wrapper to get at the button top without going near the chemicals in the middle.

Mr Happy said:

You can peel off the outer wrapper to get at the button top without going near the chemicals in the middle.

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Correct. I scavenged two AC Delco Super Heavy Duty D cells last night. Drained them in a 3D Mag. Took all of five minutes to rob them of their tops and bottoms. The only difficult part was removing the bituminous adhesive used to hold the button top in place. Going to pick up some more Goo Gone...

Why not use standard-duty carbon-zinc D cells?

lctorana said:

Why not use standard-duty carbon-zinc D cells?

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'Cos they don't sell them any more? Last time I saw one of those was in the 60's.

Two words: 99Cents Store
4 pack for a buck

Even in 99Cents Store, I believe what you get are "heavy duty" or "super heavy duty". Apart from a few specialized industrial uses, I don't believe standard duty zinc-carbon cells are even available these days.

Eveready Blue, for example.

And Rayovac Heavy Duty (Zinc chloride).

After discharging in a flashlight, build this circuit. Instead of using a AA cell holder just use a D cell holder and this will discharge your D-Cell to a decent level. http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk/bigclive/joule.htm