- 450 V
- -40 °C to 105°C
Film capacitors are manufactured in both a wired and an SMD design, so that they can be mounted on PCBs.
SMD film capacitors are a mechanical variant of the aluminum film capacitor and are designed for surface mount on a PCB. Due to the limited load capacity of SMD soldering points, these capacitors are limited in their size and weight and, consequently, also in terms of capacity.
The film may shrink in the interior due to the heat produced by the soldering process. The capacitor ages, losing capacity in the process as a result. In the case of the wired version, this effect is reduced as there is no need to heat the entire capacitor during soldering.
Film capacitors can exhibit varying characteristics, depending on the (film) material used. The comparisons are made with film capacitors of similar size and design.
PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) film capacitors feature very high temperature stability and are therefore very often used as snubber capacitors in areas subject to thermal stress, such as power supplies.
PET (polyethylene naphthalate, polyester) film capacitors are the best price-performance ratio among film capacitors. They exhibit somewhat higher temperature and frequency sensitivity than PEN or PP capacitors. However, their very thin film can help to achieve far higher capacities than with other films.
PP (polypropylene) film capacitors have a lower capacity in the same design due to their thicker film. However, they feature the lowest loss factor and generate the least heat during charging and discharging.