[emeritus]

Just checked our AA Maglite torches. One in regular use, OK; one in car glove box with Panasonic Zinc-carbon batteries- batteries almost dead but no leakage despite 8 years past date; one required mole grips to unscrew battery cap due to leakage and drilling a hole for a self-tapping screw in the battery to remove it. Vinegar removed the corrosion products. The final one is still a work in progress, severe leakage having required extreme force and heating on the gas stove to unscrew the cap. I don't know what metal was used for the end of the leaked battery, but it was very difficult to drill through and having removed the chemicals I am still attempting to extract the remains of the steel casing. The alkaline electrolyte has evidently reacted with the alloy of the torch body and the corrosion products have jammed the battery case in position, so I have been sawing a slot in the battery casing so I can collapse it. It might end up as spares for the other Maglites, but for the present, removing the remains is a challenge!