WHY
ALUMINUM POLYMER CAPACITORS ROCK?
For many decades the standard aluminum capacitor
element consisted of an anode and cathode foil with interleaved paper; an
aluminum oxide layer, formed on the anode, acted as the dielectric. This
element was wound and then impregnated with a "wet" liquid or gel
electrolyte, the purpose of which was the extend the achievable capacitance
ranges.
While this basic construction technique still remains
the most popular today, it possesses several limitations; the wet electrolyte
of a conventional aluminum electrolytic capacitor exhibits high (and, in
applications such as high frequency power supplies and converters, unacceptably
so) ESR values; it also contributes to the limited operating life of such
devices, as the chemical reaction required to sustain the integrity of the
component degrades over time.
An alternative was developed in the 1980's with the
introduction of an aluminum capacitor utilising a "solid" conductive
polymer electrolyte. In addition to significantly lower ESR ratings (and
therefore higher ripple current ratings), these aluminum polymer capacitors
also exhibit better temperature stability, longer service life and improved
failure modes, as they do not explode as their "wet" counterparts are
liable to do.
The
unique Capacitor Faks data hub houses the largest collection of aluminum
polymer capacitor data sheets on the planet...and we deliver.