Definition
Chemical damage to a battery and its surrounding contacts, terminals, or housing caused by leaking electrolyte or chemical reactions over time. In an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), corrosion of the internal battery can damage the unit, reduce its reliability, or prevent it from transmitting when needed.
Plain English
Damage to a battery, or the area around it, caused by chemicals leaking out or reacting over time. In an ELT, this can stop the unit working when it's needed most.
Context Anchor
Seen during inspection of an emergency locator transmitter battery and its battery compartment.
Derivation
Corrosion comes from the Latin corrodere, meaning 'to gnaw away.' It captures the idea well: the chemicals slowly eat away at metal contacts and surrounding parts.
Why Pilots Care
Corroded terminals can prevent the ELT from transmitting a distress signal, delaying search and rescue after an accident.
Intuition Check
Battery corrosion is not just dirt or cosmetic staining. Treat it as possible chemical damage that can stop electrical power from reaching the equipment.
Example Sentence 1
During the annual inspection, the mechanic found battery corrosion inside the ELT and replaced both the battery and the damaged contacts.
Example Sentence 2
Cleaning battery corrosion restored reliable power to the emergency locator transmitter before the next flight.