Clevios™ for Polymer Capacitors

Polymer Capacitors

Clevios™ Conductive polymers are essential for low ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) electrolytic capacitors. Because of its high conductivity and outstanding temperature stability the conductive polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), also known as PEDOT, is widely used in the capacitor industry to manufacture polymer type tantalum, niobium and aluminium capacitors.

Classical capacitors are made using a metal anode, typically an aluminium foil or a sintered compact of tantalum or niobium powders. Since the capacitance is directly related to the electrode’s surface area, the aluminium foil is roughened by an etching process. Tantalum or niobium powders have inherently large surface areas. The dielectric layer is formed by an anodic oxidation process and consists of the respective metal oxides. To complete the capacitor structure, a counter electrode is applied on top of the metal oxide layer. Conventional tantalum capacitors use manganese dioxide contacted via additional graphite and silver layers. The counter electrode of an aluminium winding type capacitor has a second aluminium foil that is part of the wound capacitor element, consisting of an aluminium anode and cathode foil with a separator soaked and filled with a liquid electrolyte.

In modern capacitors Clevios™ materials have replaced the manganese dioxide and the liquid electrolyte resulting in more stable and efficient elements used in the electronics applications such as mobile phones and note books and is now an industry standard.

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Polymer Capacitors in Electronics

Monomer (EDT/EDOT) 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene

Polymer Capacitors in Electronics

Oxidizers (Fe(III)-tosylates) C-B, C-E, C-W Series