Advanced Engineering Tech - Battery Explosion Question

I'm not 100% sure that this is the right place for this question. I read the "please read before posting thread (http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/advanced-engineering-tech/396223-what-forum-please-read-before-posting.html)" and I think this is where my question belongs.

Long story short; One of my employees wanted to charge one of his batteries on my charger. I had no problem with this so I allowed him to do so. Well, I came into work today and I notice a sulfur smell coming from my shop. I go over and open the door and my room is filled with white smoke. The retard left the damn battery on the charger overnight on the freaking boost setting. Well I get a gas mask, run in, unplug the charger, disconnect the battery and run it outside. It was one of the Optima Deep Cycle batteries. The little round vents on the top were like smoke bombs shooting plumes of smoke up about four feet. This continued for like a half hour.

So, my question is, will the smoke harm aluminum or anything else for that matter? I've got an LS1, an aluminum head LQ4 and two turbo kits in this shop and I'm a little nervous about my stuff getting hurt.

It can cause accelerated corrosion and pitting to any metalic surface.

Learn something new every day.

It can cause accelerated corrosion and pitting to any metalic surface.

God damn it. Is there anything I should use to wash off affected surfaces? I've let it air out all day. I went out to close everything up for the night and I don't notice much of a smell anymore. Honestly, it almost seems like it didn't even happen.

God damn it. Is there anything I should use to wash off affected surfaces? I've let it air out all day. I went out to close everything up for the night and I don't notice much of a smell anymore. Honestly, it almost seems like it didn't even happen.

I honestly don't know what to recommend. If I was in your situation, I wash with a mild detergent and cross my fingers.

Sounds like the plan. :bang:

I honestly don't know what to recommend. If I was in your situation, I wash with a mild detergent and cross my fingers.

X2 just use soap and water if your worried but i think airing the place out should be all thats needed

Wherever there's smoke, there's residue.

I'd use a solution of warm water and baking soda, in a spray bottle. Then, rinse w/ clear water, and blow dry.
U will know the degree of contamination, if the parts foam up when hit w/ the solution. [Just like cleaning batt terminals...]

i think the electrolyte in the optimas is still sulfuric acid, so the gases given off are hydrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen sulfide. hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air, smells like rotten eggs, and is explosive, same as plain hydrogen gas except hydrogen gas is lighter than air.
hydrogen sulfide and any sulfur compound spewed out of the battery will form a weak acid, especially with plain water. I would mix water with either baking soda or ammonia (base chemical) to neutralize it. It would probably be easier to wipe down metal parts with ammonia/water solution resulting in a clean part, baking soda can get messy and leave residue. If you caught it within an hour of it happening then i wouldn't be that concerned but if the thing gassed and spewed for 8 hours i would put the effort in and wipe down or wash the expensive stuff.
Hydrogen sulfide is also toxic so don't hang out in the room until it's well aired out.

While I agree with the last 2 posts, the only change would be, make the idiot that left the charger on boost all night do it, and then when he finishes, tell him he's fired.

just do not breathe that shit in

also water will wash away all that stuff, at the old place where i used to work this idiot used to clean the floor with battery acid and they wash it with water, it looked pretty clean, but that shit stinks big time