In chemistry, leakage is a process in which material is gradually lost, intentionally or accidentally, through the holes or defects of their containers. The material lost is usually fluid, liquid or powder and sometimes gas, from an imperfectly sealed container. Often, leakage can be disastrous if the leaked material is harmful or corrosive.

A zinc-carbon battery

Zinc-carbon battery

A zinc–carbon dry cell or battery is packaged in a zinc can that serves as both a container and negative terminal. It was developed from the wet Leclanché cell . The positive terminal is a carbon rod surrounded by a mixture of manganese dioxide and carbon powder. The electrolyte used is a paste of...

 is an example of an easy-leaking system. The electrolyte

Electrolyte

In chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible....

s inside the cell sometimes leak out of the cell casing and cause damage to an electronic appliance.