Kinds of Capacitor

1. Electrolytic
- Made of electrolyte, basically conductive salt in solvent.
- Aluminum electrodes are used by using a thin oxidation
membrane.
- Most common type, polarized capacitor and non-polarized
capacitor
- Cheap, readily available, good for storage of charge (energy).
- Not very accurate, leakage, drifting, not suitable for use in high
frequency (hf) circuits.
- Available in very small or very large values in F.
Applications:
- Ripple filters
- Timing circuits

Note:
It will explode if the applied voltage is exceeded from the working
voltage or polarity is reverse. So, be careful.
Kinds of Capacitor (continued)
2. Ceramic
- Constructed with materials such as titanium acid barium for
dielectric.
- They are shaped like a disk.
- Available in very small capacitance values and very small
sizes.
- The most widely available and used capacitor around.
- Come in very small size and values, very cheap, reliable.

Applications:
- Used in high frequency
- Used to bypass high frequency signals to ground

Note:
- Subject to drifting depending on ambient temperature.
Kinds of Capacitor (continued)
3. Polyester Film (Mylar)
- Uses a thin polyester film as a dielectric.
- Cheap
- Temperature stable
- Readily available
- Widely used
- Tolerance is approximately 5% to 10%,
- Can be quite large depending on capacity or
rated working voltage, so may not be
suitable for all applications.
Kinds of Capacitor (continued)
4. Tantalum
- Made of Tantalum Pentoxide.
- They are electrolytic capacitors but used with a material called
tantalum for the electrodes.
- Superior to electrolytic capacitors.
- Excellent temperature and frequency characteristics.
- Small size fits anywhere.
- Reliable.
- Most common values readily available.
- Expensive.
- Large values exist but may be hard to obtain.
Application:
- Used in analog signal systems.
Note:
- Polarized capacitor, so watch the + and - indicators.
- Easily damaged by spikes.
Kinds of Capacitor (continued)
5. Metalized Polyester Film
- Dielectric made of Metal-Oxide.
- Good quality
- Stable
- Cheap
- Can be quite large so may not be suitable
for all applications.
Kinds of capacitor (continued)
6. Adjustable capacitor
- Also called trimmer capacitors of
variable capacitors
- It uses ceramic or plastic as a dielectric.
- Most of them are color coded to easily
recognize their tunable size.
- The ceramic type has the value on them.
- Colors are: yellow (5pF), Blue ( 7pF),
White (10pF), Green (30pF), Brown (60).
Kinds of Capacitors (continued)
7. Tuning or Air-core Capacitors
- Use the surrounding as a dielectric.
- Mostly used in radio and radar
equipment.
- Usually have more (air) capacitor
combined ( ganged and so when the
adjustment axel is turned, the
capacitance of all of them changes
simultaneously