Types of Capacitors

Types of Capacitors A capacitor (formerly known as a condenser, and prior to that known as a permittor) is a 

passive two-terminal electrical component that stores electric energy in an electric field. The forms, styles, and materials of practical capacitors vary widely, but all contain at least two electrical conductors (called "plates") separated by an insulating layer (called the dielectric). Capacitors are widely used as parts of electrical circuits in many common electrical devices.

Classifications of capacitors Non polarized capacitors

Polarized capacitors

Ceramic capacitor

Film capacitors

Super capacitors

Electrolytic capacitors

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Obsolete capacitors

Lyden jar silver mica capacitors Vacuum capacitor with uranium glass encapsulation

Ceramic capacitors Ceramic capacitor is a fixed value capacitor in which ceramic

material acts as the dielectric. It is constructed of two or more alternating layers of ceramic and a metal layer acting as the electrodes. 

Types of ceramic Capacitors

Class 1

Class 2

Ceramic capcitor types

Ceramic disc capacitor  Multilayer ceramic chip capacitor (MLCC)

High voltage ceramic power capacitor

Electrolytic capacitors Electrolytic capacitors have a metallic anode covered with an oxidized

layer used as dielectric. The second electrode is a non-solid (wet) or solid electrolyte. Electrolytic capacitors are polarized.Categorized into three types

Aluminium electrolytic capacitors

Tantalum electrolytic capacitors

Niobium electrolytic capacitors

Electrolytic capacitor types

Axial, radial (single ended) and V-chip styles  Snap-in style Tantalum electrolytic chip capacitors 

Supercapacitors Supercapacitors (SC), comprise a family of electrochemical capacitors. Super

capacitor, sometimes called ultra capacitor is a generic term for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC), pseudo capacitors and hybrid capacitors

Double-layer capacitance – Storage is achieved by separation of charge in a Helmholtz double layer at the interface between the surface of a conductor and an electrolytic solution. The distance of separation of charge in a double-layer is on the order of a fewAngstroms (0.3–0.8 nm). This storage is electrostatic in origin

Pseudocapacitance – Storage is achieved by redox reactions, electrosorbtion or intercalation on the surface of the electrode or by specifically adsorpted ions that results in a reversible faradaic charge-transfer. The pseudocapacitance is faradaic in origin

Supercapacitors Supercapacitors are divided into three families, based on the design of the

electrodes:

Double-layer capacitors – with carbon electrodes or derivatives with much higher static double-layer capacitance than the faradaic pseudocapacitance

Pseudocapacitors – with electrodes out of metal oxides or conducting polymers with a high amount of faradaic pseudocapacitance

Hybrid capacitors – capacitors with special and asymmetric electrodes that exhibit both significant double-layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance, such as lithium-ion capacitors

Super capacitors types

Double-layer capacitor  Radial (single ended) style of lithium ion capacitors

Cylindrical Supercapacitors

Variable capacitors Variable capacitors may have their capacitance

changed by mechanical motion. Generally two versions of variable capacitors has to be to distinguished

Tuning capacitor – variable capacitor for intentionally and repeatedly tuning an oscillator circuit in a radio or another tuned circuit

Trimmer capacitor – small variable capacitor usually for one-time oscillator circuit internal adjustment

Variable capacitors types

Air gap tuning capacitor Vacuum tuning capacitor Trimmer capacitor

Polymer capacitors A polymer capacitor, or more accurate a polymer electrolytic capacitor is an 

electrolytic capacitor (e-cap) with a solid electrolyte of a conductive polymer. There are three different types:

Polymer tantalum electrolytic capacitor (Polymer Ta-e-cap) Polymer aluminum electrolytic capacitor (Polymer Al-e-cap) Hybrid polymer capacitor (Hybrid polymer Al-e-cap)

Types of polymer capacitors

OS-CON capacitors Rectangular SMD chips Cylindrical style SMD

Power Film capacitors   Film power capacitors mostly use polypropylene film as the

dielectric. Other types include metallized paper capacitors (MP capacitors) and mixed dielectric film capacitors with polypropylene dielectrics. . MP capacitors serve for cost applications and as field-free carrier electrodes (soggy foil capacitors) for high AC or high current pulse loads

Film power capacitor types

cylindrical metal can Rectangular power capacitor storage power film capacitor banks

Film capacitors Film capacitors or plastic film capacitors are non-polarized capacitors

with an insulating plastic film as the dielectric. The dielectric films are drawn to a thin layer, provided with metallic electrodes and wound into a cylindrical winding. The electrodes of film capacitors may be metallized aluminum or zinc, applied on one or both sides of the plastic film, resulting in metallized film capacitors or a separate metallic foil overlying the film, called film/foil capacitors.

Film capacitors types

Radial style (single ended) SMD style Heavy-duty snubber capacitor 

typical applications of film capacitors for use in electronic equipment

Applications