A Complete Guide to Aluminium Electrolytic Capacitors

An electrolytic capacitor is a type of capacitor that uses an electrolyte as one of its key components. It consists of two conductive plates, called electrodes, which are separated by a dielectric material and immersed in an electrolyte. The two most common types of electrolytic capacitors are aluminium electrolytic capacitors and tantalum electrolytic capacitors.

If you need help on how to convert farads please see the Capacitor Value Conversion Chart.

Aluminium Electrolytic Capacitors are mainly used in applications such as Energy Storage, Capacitance, Filtering and Smoothing, Decoupling, Timing and Phase Shifting, Power Factor Correction (PFC), and Voltage Blocking.

To convert between capacitance units, remember that each unit is a multiple or fraction of the other. For example:

• 1 μF = 1000 nF
• 1 nF = 1000 pF

To convert 100 nF to other units:

• To μF, divide by 1000 (100 nF ÷ 1000 = 0.1 μF)
• To pF, multiply by 1000 (100 nF × 1000 = 100,000 pF)
• To mF, divide by 1,000,000 (100 nF ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.0001 mF)

In summary, 100 nF is equal to 0.1 μF, 100,000 pF, and 0.0001 mF. Remember to consider the unit relationships for accurate conversion.

Aluminium Electrolytic Capacitors and Aluminium Polymer Capacitors are two common types of capacitors used in electronic circuits. While both capacitors serve similar functions, they differ in terms of their construction, performance characteristics, and applications. 

Aluminium Electrolytic Capacitors are cost-effective and offer high capacitance but have a limited lifespan and larger size. Whereas Aluminium Polymer Capacitors provide lower ESR, longer lifespan, and smaller form factor, they are more expensive and can have lower voltage ratings. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of the application, considering factors such as cost, size, lifespan, and performance characteristics.