The electrical characteristics of electrolytic capacitors are majorly influenced by the electrolyte and the anode used. The primary characteristics are as follows: 1. Capacitance and Tolerance: The electrolyte and anode of the electrolytic capacitor affect the value of capacitance. Capacitance largely depends on frequency and temperature.
A special type of electrolytic capacitors with capacitances of hundreds and thousands of farads are known as supercapacitors. They are also known as double-layer electrolytic capacitors. The electrical characteristics depend highly on the electrolyte used and the anode.
Principle of electrolytic capacitors Electrolytic capacitors consist of two electrodes (anode and cathode), a film oxide layer acting as a dielectric and an electrolyte. The electrolyte brings the negative potential of the cathode closer to the dielectric via ionic transport in the electrolyte (see Fig. 2).
Large leakage currents, tolerance levels are high and limited lifecycles are some of the disadvantages that come with electrolytic capacitors. Definition β A electrolytic capacitor is a type of capacitor that uses an electrolyte that can achieve a much large capacitance value than many other capacitor types. They are polarized capacitors.
Because of their very thin dielectric oxide layer and enlarged anode surface, electrolytic capacitors have a much higher capacitance - voltage (CV) product per unit volume than ceramic capacitors or film capacitors, and so can have large capacitance values.
The electrolyte must adhere to the whole surface of the anode and cathode foils to have a higher capacitance. It can also repair defects in the anode oxide film as seen before. The nature of the electrolyte influences the temperature and frequency characteristics response of the capacitor (Fig. 4. 5).