Method of aging an aluminum electrolytic capacitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11894199-B2
Application number	US-202117344334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2021
Priority date	Jun 11, 2020
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an aluminum electrolytic capacitor includes impregnating an aluminum electrolytic capacitor with a first electrolyte to form a first impregnated capacitor, aging the first impregnated capacitor using a first aging process to form a first aged capacitor, impregnating the first aged capacitor with a second electrolyte to form a second impregnated capacitor, the second electrolyte being different from the first electrolyte, aging the second impregnated capacitor using a final aging process to form a final aged capacitor, and impregnating the final aged capacitor with a third electrolyte.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an aluminum electrolytic capacitor, the method comprising:
impregnating an aluminum electrolytic capacitor with a first electrolyte to form a first impregnated capacitor;
aging the first impregnated capacitor using a first aging process to form a first aged capacitor;
impregnating the first aged capacitor with a second electrolyte to form a second impregnated capacitor;
aging the second impregnated capacitor using a final aging process to form a final aged capacitor; and
impregnating the final aged capacitor with a third electrolyte.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aging process includes an aging step comprising:
maintaining a target current between an anode and a cathode of the first impregnated capacitor until a target voltage is reached to form an oxide layer on an edge surface of the anode; and
maintaining the target voltage for a period of time or until a desired current behavior is achieved as a function of time,
wherein the first impregnated capacitor is maintained at a temperature while the target voltage is maintained.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first impregnated capacitor is maintained at a temperature ranging from about 75° C. to about 90° C. during the aging step.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the target voltage of the aging step ranges from about 400 Volts to about 440 Volts.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first aging process includes a discharge step comprising:
discharging the first impregnated capacitor from the target voltage to zero voltage.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first aging process further comprises:
a plurality of the aging steps; and
a plurality of the discharge steps.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the discharge steps is alternated with one of the aging steps.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a duration of a discharging step in the plurality of discharge steps is about 5 minutes or less.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein a summed duration of the total aging steps in the plurality of aging steps ranges from about 1 hour to about 10 hours.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third electrolytes have the same composition, and comprise:
an electrolyte solvent;
an electrolytic salt; and
water,
wherein the water is present in an amount of up to about 3 weight percent (wt %) based on the total weight of the electrolyte.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the water is present in an amount of less than about 1 wt %.

12. The method of claim 1 , where the first electrolyte comprises:
an electrolyte solvent;
an electrolytic salt; and
water,
wherein the water is present in an amount of up to about 3 weight percent (wt %) based on the total weight of the first electrolyte.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second and third electrolytes have the same composition, and comprise:
an electrolyte solvent;
an electrolytic salt; and
water,
wherein the water is present in an amount of less than about 1 weight percent (wt %) based on the total weight of the electrolyte.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein, in the first electrolyte, the water is present in an amount of greater than about 1 wt % to about 2 wt % based on the total weight of the first electrolyte.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the final aging process further includes:
a plurality of the discharge steps; and
a plurality of the aging steps,
wherein each of the discharge steps is alternated with one of the aging steps.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein, in the first electrolyte, the water is present in an amount of less than about 1 wt % based on the total weight of the first electrolyte, and wherein the water content in the second and third electrolytes is less than the water content of the first electrolyte.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the final aging process includes an aging step comprising:
maintaining a target current between an anode and a cathode of the second impregnated capacitor until a target voltage is reached; and
maintaining the target voltage for a period of time or until a desired current behavior is achieved as a function of time,
wherein, during the aging step, the second impregnated capacitor is maintained at a temperature.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second impregnated capacitor is maintained at a temperature ranging from about 75° C. to about 90° C. during the aging step.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the target voltage of the aging step ranges from about 400 Volts to about 440 Volts.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the final aging process includes a discharge step comprising:
discharging the second impregnated capacitor from the first target voltage to zero voltage.

Assignees

• Pacesetter Inc

Inventors

• Fernstrom Pete J
• Hemphill Jason
• Marshall Timothy
• Davis Tommy T
• Beauvais Joseph

Classifications

• H01G9/0029 Primary

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• H01G9/035

  Liquid electrolytes, e.g. impregnating materials (H01G11/54 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01G9/145 Primary

  Liquid electrolytic capacitors (H01G11/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01G13/04

  Drying; Impregnating · CPC title

• H01G9/0036

  Formation of the solid electrolyte layer · CPC title