A capacitor is a two-terminal passive electronic component that stores energy in the form of electrical charges. While there are capacitors in many forms, they all contain at least two conductive plates separated by a dielectric layer.
Electrolytic and ceramic capacitors are the two main types of capacitors used in electronic circuits. The main difference between the two capacitors has to do with the layer separating the conductive plates.
A ceramic capacitor is a type of capacitor in which the ceramic material acts as a dielectric. In ceramic capacitors, a thin ceramic layer is used as the dielectric material between two metal plates.
Electrolytic capacitor is the type of capacitor in which electrolyte is used to increase the capacitance. Aluminum, tantalum or niobium are used as conductive material. The dielectric material is the oxide layer formed on these metals.
Ceramic capacitors have no polarity and their terminals are interchangeable. Electrolytic capacitors have polarity. That is, it has fixed positive and negative terminals. This is why ceramic capacitors are suitable for both AC and DC, while electrolytic capacitors are only suitable for DC applications.
Electrolytic capacitors have a larger capacitance than ceramic capacitors. This means that it can store a large amount of energy. Large-value capacitors (1 uF – 10,000 uF) are always electrolytic capacitors. Small value capacitors (0.1 pF – 1 uF) are ceramic capacitors.
Ceramic capacitors are disk-shaped devices the size of a coin or smaller. Electrolytic capacitors, on the other hand, are typically cylindrical and can be found in many different sizes.
Ceramic capacitors are cheaper and easier to manufacture. Electrolytic capacitors, on the other hand, are more expensive as they have a metal case. On the other hand, considering the charging capacity, electrolytic capacitors are relatively cheaper.
Electrolytic capacitors are often used for filtering in power supply applications. Ceramic capacitors are used in radio frequency, some audio applications and high frequency applications.
Due to the liquid electrolyte used in electrolytic capacitors, the heat tolerance is less and the service life is shorter. The first component to fail in an old electronic device is often the electrolytic capacitor.
Ceramic capacitor and electrolytic capacitor are used in many applications. The two are completely different devices and are used for different needs. Therefore, it is not correct to say that one is better than the other. When choosing a capacitor, variables such as capacitance per size, thermal capacitance coefficient, temperature-dependent lifetime, tolerance and cost should be considered.
