Suntan Principles of Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitor
An aluminum electrolytic capacitor consists of cathode aluminum foil, capacitor paper (electrolytic paper), electrolyte, and an aluminum oxide film, which acts as the dielectric, formed on the anode foil surface.
A very thin oxide film formed by electrolytic oxidation (formation) offers superior dielectric constant and has rectifying properties. When in contact with an electrolyte, the oxide film possesses an excellent forward direction insulation property. Together with magnified effective surface area attained by etching the foil, a high capacitance yet small sized capacitor is available.
