CHINA: Supercapacitors gaining ground

Capacitors account for about 40 percent of the worldwide electronic components output. Ninety percent of these capacitors are electrolysis capacitors (including aluminum electrolysis capacitor and tantalum electrolysis capacitor), porcelain capacitors and polyester film capacitors.



The aluminum electrolysis capacitor dominates China’s high-capacitance capacitor market. According to a report by the China Electronic Components Association (CECA), shipment of this type of capacitors reached 78 billion units in 2006.



Meanwhile, multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) are rapidly replacing other types of capacitors in many applications. For example, there are about 150 to 300 MLCCs in a mobile phone, 300 to 350 MLCCs in a desktop PC, and 500 to 600 MLCCs in a notebook computer. MLCCs are also being used in MP3/MP4 players, digital cameras and LCD displays.



DOUBLE-LAYER, HIGH-POWER

The two widely used supercapacitors are high-power supercapacitor and electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) supercapacitor.



According to Hua Li, general manager of Shanghai Aowei Technology Development Co. Ltd, the demand for EDLCs in China alone will reach 21.5 billion units. EDLCs can be found in a broad range of applications such as electric equipment, uninterruptible power supply, auxiliary power unit, and vehicle energy compensation. Their operating temperature ranges from -40℃ to 70℃.



On the other hand, the forecasted value of high-power capacitor is much higher than the double-layer capacitor once the market starts to pick up. However, China’s high-power capacitor industry is not yet mature.

The development of high-power capacitors in China began with the research on electromotion automobile and mixed power electric automobile in the late 1990’s. In contrast, electrical double-layer supercapacitors were already being used in commercial applications during the same period. “We are slightly behind other advanced countries in high-power capacitor technology, but the gap is closing,” Li said.



FUTURE INNOVATION

Innovation in materials, such as carbon nanotube, transition metal oxide and conducting polymer, will be the key factor in future technology advancements. Li said, “Chinese manufacturers are on track with these developments, plus we have the advantage in material cost and labor cost.”