What is Battery Acid?

Battery acid is acid that is located in batteries that help to give the battery charge. Care needs to be taken when handling batteries that may have a leak as battery acid can be damaging to the skin and eyes.

Battery acid is concentrated sulfuric acid. It contains sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen. There are several different grades of sulfuric acid with battery acid being one of the lower grades. This means that it does not contain as much concentrated sulfuric acid. Battery acid is used in all types of batteries but is best known for car batteries.

Precautions

If battery acid is leaked out of a car battery into the car, it can cause corrosion on any of the metal pieces that it comes into contact with. It is strongly advised that when handling batteries that may have a leak to wear protective clothing. The acid can cause serious burns to the skin and body.

Treatment

If the acid gets on any part of the skin, wash the area immediately. The area needs to be irrigated with clean water for at least 10 to 15 minutes and for larger areas even longer. Remove any clothing that was spilled on and wash the skin underneath for 10 to 15 minutes. It is also recommended to see a doctor after an acid burn.

If the battery acid leaks onto pieces in the car or onto the ground, the acid can be neutralized with ammonia. Baking soda is also another great choice to soak up acid that has leaked from the battery. When cleaning up spills be sure to use protective clothing to protect the skin from damage.