Pine surface battery leak damage

[Me!]

Help please. Somebody has left a Duracell AA battery leaking on the surface of an old pine desk I have -



I've not done anything with it yet, not even put water on it for fear of washing the chemicals further into the wood. The internet has plenty of suggestions of what to do, most of which I don't trust because the people who wrote them clearly don't understand difference between an acid based battery and an alkaline one. This is the first link that comes up - http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-battery-acid-from-wooden-furniture/ which refers to Acid but shows a Duracell battery which is as far as I'm aware going to have leaked an Alkaline substance.

There are some more sensible (IMO) suggestions about using lemon juice or vinegar, but most of them are talking about cleaning up the inside of a plastic battery compartment or similar, ... not wood. So, I've scrolled down several pages of Google offerings on the subject, and not found a single one that is talking about wood and that is written by anyone who has even a basic clue about what they are talking about!

So, once again I turn to PPUK where I know the level of knowledge and advice is vastly superior to the rest of the Wild Wild Web!

Any suggestions please?

 

[mattice]

You could perhaps try searching from a battery ingredients perspective. I think the electrolyte is potassium hydroxide and water, which is mixed with powdered zinc to form the anode. The cathode is a mixture of carbon and manganese dioxide.

 

[88v8]

I fear this may come under the heading of 'patina'.

However... do you still have the battery? Wipe the leakage on another piece of wood, then try lemon juice or vinegar (need not be organic).

Ivor

 

[Penners]

I suggest that your first priority should be to try and soak up any remaining liquid. You can have a go at this by laying some blotting paper or brown wrapping paper (dull side down) over the patch and then carefully applying a hot iron to it (not too hot - towards the cooler end of the scale). The idea is that the iron will vaporise any remaining fluid and the paper will soak it up. Just don't get the wood too hot.

After that, I would try something acid to neutralise the alkali - lemon juice or vinegar seem logical choices - and then have a go with iron and paper again.

However, bottom line, I really don't think you're going to get rid of this stain to any really satisfactory degree. It will have to become part of the historical character of the piece - "patina" as 88v88 said!

 

[LadyArowana]

If it was mine I would be tempted to try some of this http://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/osmo-wood-reviver after a bit of Mr P's iron treatment and a teensy bit of sandpaper, and apply it carefully with a cotton bud. The main ingredient seems to be oxalic acid. The damage to your table looks a bit like a limed or sun damaged wood and this product claims to revive wood from that, ( mostly they are talking about oak in the reviews, but still, worth a try )

 

[Keithj]

The battery is alkaline, so anything intended for leaking acid batteries isn't going to achieve much.

I'd wipe off with a dry cloth all that can be wiped off (without spreading it), then use the blotting-paper-and-warm-iron technique.

After that, it's very cautious use of cloth and water (soapy or otherwise) and then, maybe, vinegar or oxalid acid.

I think the likelihood of complete removal is low.

 

[Flyfisher]

Sorry to add to the pessimism but I agree with 88v8, both in respect of it being permanent patina Nd the suggestion of experimenting on a similar piece of scrap wood in case things are made worse by ad hoc remedies.

Coincidentally, we have a pine table with an almost identical blemish caused by the same circumstance. It was not a cherished piece so I simply wiped away the mess with a wet cloth and lived with the results. It doesn't seem to have faded over the years but it's now part of the table's history and we don't seem to notice it.

 

[worms]

...even a basic clue...

Pun intended?

 

[davidbrac]

the chemical has most probably got into the cells of the wood, so l also do not think you will remove all of it, even if you sand the whole table

 

[Penners]

...even a basic clue...

Pun intended?

Oh, go on worms - I can vaguely remember something about a chemical base being alkaline, but I need a clear explanation, please!

 

[Me!]

...even a basic clue...

Pun intended?

No, not intended, just my natural acidic wit seeping through accidentally

Anyway, thank you for all the suggestions and I've tried a combination of them. White vinegar applied and then blotted off seems to have had the best result. The white, powdery oxidised surface now seems to be gone. I thought at first it was just because the wood was still wet from the vinegar, but it must have dried by now and it still looks like fresh wood rather than a white or dried surface.

The bit that hasn't improved though is where the alkali has leeched under the polished surface, that still looks the same as the photo and probably always will do now. So, I think I'll just leave it a few more days to be sure it is dry and then start putting some polish on it to start blending in the patina.

Then, ... I've always thought that a large leather blotter would look nice on that desk, ...

 

[Penners]

I've always thought that a large leather blotter would look nice on that desk, ...

That's the spirit! Make use of the natural indigenous cover. :wink:

 

[worms]

...even a basic clue...

Pun intended?

No, not intended, just my natural acidic wit seeping through accidentally

:lol: