"A", "B/C", "D", "E", "F", "G", "I/L", "M/N", "P", "Q/R", "S", "T", "V/Z"
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Impedance (Z): Total opposition offered to the flow of an alternating or pulsating current, measured in ohms. (Impedance is the vector sum of the resistance and the capacitive reactance, i.e., the complex ratio of voltage to current.)
Impregnant: A substance, usually liquid, used to saturate paper dielectric and to replace the air between its fibers. (Impregnation increases the dielectric strength and the dielectric constant of the assembled capacitor.)
Insulation: A material used to prevent the leakage of electricity from a conductor and to provide mechanical spacing or support as protection against accidental contact with the conductor.
Insulation resistance (IR): Direct current resistance between two conductors that are separated by an insulating material. IR can be measured across the terminals of the capacitor.
Leaded: Not surface mount. Capacitors which have wire leads instead of pads as in SMD. Common leaded styles include; Radial Lead, Axial Lead, and Snap-in devices.
Leakage Current: The small current [IL] that always flows through a capacitor based on the insulation resistance of the device. This is the residual current which continues to flow when the capacitor has been charged up to a set voltage. At this voltage it's magnitude is determined by the thickness (formation voltage), the degree of perfection of the dielectric oxide layer, and the foil surface area. The value of leakage current will continue to fall while voltage is applied, until a very low steady state value is reached. It's value will increase both with voltage and temperature. The longer capacitors are stored with no applied voltage, the higher the initial leakage current.
Leakage Resistance: The electrical resistance that opposes the flow of current through the
dielectric of a capacitor. The higher the leakage resistance, the slower the capacitor discharges or leaks
across the dielectric.
LICC: Low Inductance Chip Capacitor. A chip capacitor that has the electrodes on the long side of the chip instead of the short side. A normal 1206 package becomes an 0612, a 0805 becomes a 0508, a 0603 becomes an 0306.
Refer to the Low Inductive Chip Size page.
Life: The life of a capacitor, in general, decreases with an increase in temperature. Life as a function of operating temperature is a complex function and should be determined from life-test data. In the absence of this data, the familiar 100C rule for a chemical reaction may be used as a rough approximation. This rule states that the life decreases by a factor of two for each 100C rise in temperature. This rule, however, should never be used outside of the temperature range specified by the manufacturer, since chemical reactions of an entirely different nature may take place at extreme temperatures. This rule should not be applied to liquid and gaseous dielectric without further investigation.
Liquid-Filled: A capacitor in which a liquid impregnant occupies substantially all of the case volume not required by the capacitor element and its connections. (Space may be allowed for the expansion of the liquid under temperature variations}.
Liquid-Impregnated: A capacitor in which a liquid impregnant is dominantly contained within the foil-winding and paper-winding, but does not occupy substantially all of the case volume.
LTCC: Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic, Ceramic Chip Capacitors.
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