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The electrolyte doesn't evaporate. The "capacitor plague" thing was because in the early 2000s every manufacturer started buying the same kind of cheapest elec
by Gordonjcp 4y ago
The electrolyte doesn't evaporate.
The "capacitor plague" thing was because in the early 2000s every manufacturer started buying the same kind of cheapest electrolytics they could find that simply did not meet spec.
If your electrolytic caps are failing after six years, you're running them at too high a voltage.
- camtarn 4y agoFrom an actual research paper, not just Wikipedia: "The variation of electrolytic capacitor electrical properties due to ageing can be attributed to two key degradation mechanisms: 1. The evaporation of electrolyte [3, 4, 5] 2. The electrolyte reacting with the insulation material within the electrolytic capacitor [6] A. Evaporation of electrolyte Over time the liquid electrolyte will evaporate, and therefore reduce the amount of available electrolyte within the capacitor." https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104114/1/IECONv2a.pdf https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104114/1/IECONv2a.pdf Yes, the capacitor plague was a particular incident not a general thing; yes, six years seems slightly ridiculous; yes, you can make them last significantly longer; but no, capacitors are not immortal - and you can't make them be immortal by just repeating "no that doesn't happen".