Exploding Battery - Acid cleanup?

[NickHarley]

Was charging up my sevice battery lastnight & warming up engine. Think vibrations must have moved charger & couple of leads short circuited & resultant sparks must have ignited gas (hydrogen?) in the battery... big bang and much of the battery literally blown to bits.

Battery compartment under a quarter berth got flooded with battery electrolyte. Very awkward to get to so after the event I just poured a few litres of water in there to dilute & carefully baled some out. Its going to be a sponge&bucket job to get it all out, but am worried about it still being acidic...

1) Should I dilute futher... bale out... dilute further etc. OR should I add some alkaline (bicarb?!) to netralise first.... (I'm worried about any resultant gas being explosive/poisonous - seem to remeber the acid/alkaline mix produces gas) ??
2) Do I need to do anything to cables/terminals/GRP/Wood etc. that was coated in acid ??
3) Are there likely to be any 'heavier than air' dangerous gases lingering in my boat (no gas alarm fitted)?

Would appreciate any advice.

 

[Guest]

Ouch!

Be careful and methodical and both you and the boat will be ok and there won't be any lasting damage.

Make sure you ventilate the boat thoroughly, acid fumes can damage your mouth and lungs

Dilute dilute and dilute the acid and mop out - use acid resistant gloves - Rubber

check all adjacent compartments are clear of acid and debris and vented out.

keep on washing down to get rid of all acid from the boat, fittings wiring. if the hull is of material other than wood keep a regular check in the locker to make sure there is no effect of the acid on the boat structure eg softening of GRP or erosion of metals due to reaction with the acid.

make sure that the inside of the hull is thoroughly cleaned
and keep a check in all adjacent compartments

note it is dangerous to use alkali unless you know precisely the acid in the battery and its concentration (they do vary) you could end up with a nasty result.

make sure you dispose of the battery and any acids properly, you don't want claims of injury to others, or pollution and killing the local marine life don't forget the battery debris will still be covered in acid and metals (such as lead) unfriendly to the environment.

gas alarms are designed for specific gasses only and should not be used for detection of other gasses, those fitted on boats are usually for Butane/Propane or Carbon Monoxide

when you put the boat back together make sure your wiring is properly insulated, batteries, and cables secure from chafe.
installing batteries in an acid proof battery box may also be a safe option to contain future acid spills.

 

[Guest]

Install a suitable amperage fuse right on the positive terminal of the battery if it is not used for starting. This will prevent it from happening again unless you drop a conductor like a spanner or screwdriver across the terminals.

 

[vyv_cox]

Neutralise with sodium bicarbonate, only gas given off will be CO2. Definitely a good idea to neutralise as the acid can burn skin when quite dilute. Most automotive workshop manuals have some advice on this, try http://www.power-sonic.co.uk/safety-main.htm

Sodium carbonate will also be effective but perhaps no longer so widely available today.

 

[gunnarsilins]

Softening.....?

I thought GRP was the most resistant hull material (compared with wood, steel and aluminium) regarding battery acid. In my yacht the yard (Moody´s) have fitted huge GRP boxes with lids containing all batteries, a nice and well looking job.
I have always thought these are entirely safe in case of a battery leaking.
Am I wrong???
If yes, what to do? Can they be prepared in some way (like painting with epoxy or something)?

 

[Guest]

Re: Softening

Most likely the battery acid won't be a problem
but dependant on age and type of resin used in the particular boat it is possible the resin may soften slightly

Battery boxes are built of GRP for strength and containment in the event of leakage to prevent the acid getting to the bilges.

as for use of sodium bicarbonate - fine in an open safe area but you don't want additional chemical reaction giving off asphyxiant gasses in an enclosed space where you have to work and the reaction would most likely give off heat.

no problem giving a wipe round with the Sodium Bicarbonate when the majority of the acid has been removed and you want to be sure that the residues are neutralised and you can only get very limited amount of reaction - ensuring again that you wear appropriate protection.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Lots and Lots of Sodium Bicarbonate

You can't use enough sodium bicarb. After all, it is only baking soda, CO2 product is the same gas as what you breathe out and will not do you any harm in the quantities produced [may even do some good as well]. Battery acid [sulphuric acid] is so corrosive and must be neutralized as soon as possible. Left over Baking Soda can be kept on board for cooking, and can be used in emergency to put out fires, in solution is good for cleaning out fridges and iceboxes as it neutralizes the odours as well.

 

[NickHarley]

Thanks for advice

Have managed to clear up the mess - lots of diluting & careful baling out with suitable protective
clothing (lovely pink marigolds!). I wiped some dried electrolyte 'salts' off metal surfaces with oiled cloth.
Will give everything else a wipe around with a bicarb solution tonight too.

Doesn't seem to be any lasting damage, apart from a battery charger having some paint stripped off
its outer case, and a few 'bleached' marks on my trousers (the diluted stuff did this - must have still been
fairly potent still!). Will keep an eye on it.

Have learnt some lessons - appreciate all the help & advice.

 

[ArthurWood]

Re: Thanks for advice

A simple wipe with bicarb will not be enough unless you have washed and washed with water. Sprinkle some bicarb on a wet area where the acid was and if it fizzes, there's acid still present. I suggest you make up a solution of bicarb and drench the area with it. Once verything stops fizzing, add some more to be sure all the acid is neutralised. If you don't do this, you won't know if all the acid has been removed/neutralised. Then thoroughly wash with water otherwise you will have a white deposit on everything when it dries. Protect your eyes in case of residual acid splashes.