Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors
- Posted by doEEEt Media Group
- On May 11, 2023
- 0
The chemically reactive nature of the materials used in aluminum capacitors is problematic on two points: the dielectric layer’s stability and the device’s long-term mechanical integrity. Since the aluminum oxide dielectric layer in these devices is formed through an electrochemical process, it can also be eroded by an electrochemical process simply by reversing the applied voltage. This is why most aluminum capacitors are polarized; the application of voltage with the wrong polarity causes rapid erosion & thinning of the dielectric, resulting in high leakage current and excessive internal heating.