Invalidation manner and mechanism of new type NbO electrolytic capacitor anode

Abstract

Niobium suboxide powder was pressed and sintered in vacuum into NbO electrolytic capacitor sintered anode. High voltage and constant current formation experiment was performed on NbO electrolytic capacitor anode, during which electrolyte was 0.01% H₃PO₄ solution, temperature was 90 °C and current was 50 mA per gram sample. Through the relationship between anode voltage and time and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) images of invalidated anode and normal forming anode, invalidation manner and mechanism of NbO electrolytic capacitor anode were discussed. The results show that, the main invalidation manner of NbO electrolytic capacitor anode is not short circuit but open circuit, which is different to that of traditional Ta electrolytic capacitor anode. The reason of invalidation is that anode oxide film whose thickness increases gradually penetrates the “connection neck’ among anode powder particles, which leads to the open circuit invalidation of anode. Compared with Ta electrolytic capacitor, NbO electrolytic capacitor has better security.

Keywords

niobium suboxide / NbO / invalidation manner / invalidation mechanism / electrolytic capacitor / anode