Long Life vs Standard Radial Electrolytic Capacitors

SUNTAN TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED · ALL KINDS OF CAPACITORS

Long life vs standard radial electrolytic capacitors influences power supply lifetime, SMPS output stability, and LED driver reliability. Engineers evaluating an aluminum electrolytic capacitor must consider endurance hours, temperature rise, and ripple current stress together, as these factors define real operating life.

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Understanding Electrolytic Capacitor Endurance Ratings

The endurance rating (2000h, 5000h, 10000h) indicates how long the capacitor maintains electrical characteristics at rated temperature and ripple current. As electrolyte evaporates over time, ESR increases and capacitance decreases, leading to ripple voltage rise and potential instability.

Class	Endurance @105°C	Typical Usage	Expected Duty
Standard	2000h	General electronics	Intermittent
Long Life	5000h	LED drivers / controls	Extended use
High Endurance	10000h	SMPS / telecom	Continuous

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Temperature Acceleration Model

Electrolytic capacitor lifetime follows temperature acceleration behavior. Life approximately doubles for each 10°C drop in core temperature. Ripple current heating raises internal temperature above ambient, shortening effective endurance.

Lifetime estimation relationship:

L₂ = L₁ × 2^{((T₁ − T₂)/10)}

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Ripple Current Influence

Ripple current flowing through ESR generates internal heat (I²R loss). As ESR increases with aging, heating rises further, accelerating electrolyte dry-out in a feedback mechanism. This explains why SMPS output capacitors and LED driver capacitors require higher endurance classes.

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Design Stage Selection Strategy

Engineers should base selection on:

• RMS ripple current
• Ambient and PCB thermal zones
• Expected service life
• Enclosure airflow

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Field Failure Symptoms of Underrated Capacitors

When standard endurance capacitors are used in high ripple or high temperature environments, typical field symptoms appear gradually rather than as sudden failure.

• Output ripple voltage increase
• LED driver flicker over time
• SMPS regulation instability
• Rising ESR detected in maintenance testing
• Reduced hold-up time in power supplies

These behaviors are wear-out mechanisms caused by electrolyte dry-out, not dielectric breakdown. Selecting long life capacitors prevents these progressive degradation issues.

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Engineering Comparison

Parameter	2000h	5000h	10000h
Electrolyte stability	Baseline	Improved	Enhanced
ESR drift	Faster	Slower	Minimal
Failure risk	Higher	Moderate	Lowest

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View Radial Capacitor Specifications Request Engineering Support

Official radial electrolytic capacitor endurance specifications available here.

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Electrolytic capacitor endurance and temperature acceleration behavior are based on established reliability models used in power electronics design practice.