Conductive electrolyte for high voltage capacitors

[0002] This application is related to application Ser. No. 10/155,526, filed on May 23, 2002.

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is directed to a conductive electrolyte for high voltage electrolytic capacitors and to an electrolytic capacitor impregnated with the electrolyte of the present invention for use in an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

[0005] 2. Related Art

[0006] Compact, high voltage capacitors are utilized as energy storage reservoirs in many applications, including implantable medical devices. These capacitors are required to have a high energy density since it is desirable to minimize the overall size of the implanted device. This is particularly true of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), also referred to as an implantable defibrillator, since the high voltage capacitors used to deliver the defibrillation pulse can occupy as much as one third of the ICD volume.

[0007] Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,388, incorporated herein by reference, typically use two electrolytic capacitors in series to achieve the desired high voltage for shock delivery. Electrolytic capacitors are used in ICDs because they have the most nearly ideal properties in terms of size, reliability and ability to withstand relatively high voltage. Conventionally, such electrolytic capacitors include an etched aluminum foil anode, an aluminum foil or film cathode, and an interposed kraft paper or fabric gauze separator impregnated with a solvent-based liquid electrolyte. While aluminum is the preferred metal for the anode plates, other metals such as tantalum, magnesium, titanium, niobium, zirconium and zinc may be used. A typical solvent-based liquid electrolyte may be a mixture of a weak acid and a salt of a weak acid, preferably a salt of the weak acid employed, in a polyhydroxy alcohol solvent. The electrolytic or ion-producing component of the electrolyte is the salt that is dissolved in the solvent. The entire laminate is rolled up into the form of a substantially cylindrical body, or wound roll, that is held together with adhesive tape and is encased, with the aid of suitable insulation, in an aluminum tube or canister. Connections to the anode and the cathode are made via tabs. Alternative flat constructions for aluminum electrolytic capacitors are also known, comprising a planar, layered, stack structure of electrode materials with separators interposed therebetween, such as those disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,388.

[0008] In ICDs, as in other applications where space is a critical design element, it is desirable to use capacitors with the greatest possible capacitance per unit volume. Since the capacitance of an electrolytic capacitor is provided by the anodes, a clear strategy for increasing the energy density in the capacitor is to minimize the volume taken up by paper and cathode and maximize the number of anodes. A multiple anode stack configuration requires fewer cathodes and paper spacers than a single anode configuration and thus reduces the size of the device. A multiple anode stack consists of a number of units consisting of a cathode, a paper spacer, two or more anodes, a paper spacer and a cathode, with neighboring units sharing the cathode between them. Energy storage density can be increased by using a multiple anode element, however, the drawback is that the equivalent series resistance, ESR, of the capacitor increases as the conduction path from cathode to anode becomes increasingly tortuous.

[0009] Typically, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator may utilize two 350 to 400 volt electrolytic capacitors in series to achieve a voltage of 700 to 800 volts. However, with the prospect for treatment of ventricular tachycardia with higher voltage pulses (up to 1000 volts), the need for a capacitor with a working voltage of greater than 400 volts becomes pronounced. There are numerous commercially available compositions of electrolyte for use in electrolytic capacitors than can conform to reasonable specifications, as long as the operating voltage of the capacitor remains at 400 volts or lower. However, once this limit is exceeded, the choices become more limited. There are relatively few electrolytes for this voltage regime, and the suitable electrolytes known in the art have several drawbacks, especially when used in a flat, stacked capacitor having a multiple anode configuration. First, glycol-based electrolytes suffer from relatively poor conductivity and ionic mobility. These electrolytes will produce a capacitor with significant energy loss due to a higher than acceptable equivalent series resistance (ESR). Second, γ-butyrolactone based electrolytes, which overcome the problems of ionic mobility, can not be used in conjunction with typical paper spacer pads. These require thicker, more expensive pads made out of manila fibers, and as a result of greater thickness, sharply reduce the energy density in flat stacked capacitor designs. Many high voltage electrolytes employ the use of very long chain dicarboxylic acids and large bases to achieve the necessary breakdown voltages, however, the resultant electrolytes have very low conductivities (≦1 mS/cm). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,169 discloses an electrolytic capacitor for use in operation at voltages above 500 volts, produced by employing an electrolyte containing a straight chain saturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid in which the carboxylic moieties are separated by at least 14 carbon atoms in a mixture of at least one polar organic solvent and water. The disclosed composition has a resistivity at 30° C. of 1280 Ω·cm (781 μS/cm), a pH of 9.68 and Scintillation voltage of 500V.

[0010] What is needed in the art is an electrolyte that provides acceptable breakdown characteristics with reasonable conductivity when impregnated in a electrolytic capacitor operating above 400 volts.

[0011] The present invention is directed to a conductive electrolyte for use in high voltage electrolytic capacitors and to an electrolytic capacitor impregnated with the electrolyte of the present invention for use in an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The electrolyte according to the present invention is composed of a two solvent mixture of ethylene glycol and an alkoxy-substituted alcohol, such as 2-methoxyethanol, 2-ethoxyethanol, 2-butoxyethanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, pentanol or hexanol. Dissolved in this mixture is a combination of acids including at least one straight chain aliphatic dicarboxylic acid of carbon chain length from eight to thirteen (C₈to C₁₃), such as suberic, azelaic, sebacic, undecanedioic, dodecanedioic, or brassylic acid, and a longer chain dicarboxylic acid, where the acid functional groups are separated by 34 carbons (referred to as “dimer acid,” as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,481, incorporated herein by reference). Smaller dicarboxylic acids, including C₆and C₇can be used in low voltage applications. As further additives, boric acid and hypophosphorous acid can be added, with the former providing corrosion inhibition in the finished capacitor, and the latter resulting in lower leakage currents and better voltage droop characteristics. Also, a cathode depolarizer, or degassing agent, selected from the group of nitro-substituted aromatic compounds (nitroaromatics), including nitrobenzene, nitrotoluene, nitrophenol, nitroacetophenone, nitrobenzyl alcohol, and nitroanisole, can be added to reduce the amount of gas produced during capacitor life. The solution is then neutralized with an amine such as ammonia, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and diisopropylethylamine.

[0012] A representative composition according to the present invention that displays the desired properties is:

[0013] 71.1% by weight ethylene glycol;

[0014] 17.9% by weight 2-methoxyethanol;

[0015] 3.6% by weight dodecanedioic acid;

[0016] 2.3% by weight dimer acid;

[0017] 0.1% by weight hypophosphorous acid (50% solution in water);

[0018] 1.0% by weight o-nitroanisole; and

[0019] 3.9% by weight ammonium hydroxide (30% solution in water).

[0020] The electrolyte may be further neutralized with anhydrous ammonia to achieve a pH of about 6.0 to about 10.0, preferably a pH of about 6.5 to about 8.5, and the water content may be adjusted with deionized water to achieve a Karl Fischer titration (water content) measurement of about 1.0% to about 8.0%.

[0021] The electrolyte according to the present invention, when impregnated in an electrolytic capacitor, provides a conductivity that is reasonable for use in a multiple anode stack configuration, decent ionic mobility, low viscosity, and a breakdown voltage of greater than 500 V, and can be used with thinner, typical Kraft paper pads.

[0022] The present invention is directed to a high voltage, highly conductive electrolyte for electrolytic capacitors and to an electrolytic capacitor impregnated with the electrolyte of the present invention for use in an ICD. The electrolyte according to the present invention may be used in a capacitor operating at a working voltage greater than 400 V, preferably about 400V to about 450V, allowing for the possibility of a defibrillator that has a paired voltage greater than 800 V.

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are now described. While specific configurations and arrangements are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustrative purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other configurations and arrangements can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art that this invention can also be employed in a variety of other devices and applications.

[0024] The electrolyte according to the present invention is composed of a two solvent mixture of ethylene glycol and an alkoxy-substituted alcohol, such as 2-methoxyethanol, 2-ethoxyethanol, 2-butoxyethanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, pentanol or hexanol. Dissolved in this mixture is a combination of acids including at least one straight chain aliphatic dicarboxylic acid of carbon chain length from eight to thirteen (C₈to C₁₃), such as suberic, azelaic, sebacic, undecanedioic, dodecanedioic, or brassylic acid, and at least one longer chain dicarboxylic acid, where the acid functional groups are separated by 34 carbons (referred to as “dimer acid,” as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,481, incorporated herein by reference), such as is available from Sigma-Aldrich under the product number 43,236-9 (“hydrogenated dimer acid”). Smaller dicarboxylic acids, including C₆and C₇can be used in low voltage applications. As further additives, boric acid and hypophosphorous acid can be added, with the former providing corrosion inhibition in the finished capacitor, and the latter resulting in lower leakage currents and better voltage droop characteristics. Phosphoric acid will produce similar results in small quantities. Additionally, the water content may be adjusted to achieve proper age characteristics. Also, a cathode depolarizer, or degassing agent, selected from the group of nitro-substituted aromatic compounds (nitroaromatics), including nitrobenzene, nitrotoluene, nitrophenol, nitroacetophenone, nitrobenzyl alcohol, and nitroanisole, can be added to reduce the amount of gas produced during the capacitor life. The solution is then neutralized with an amine, such as ammonia, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, diisopropylethylamine, methylamine and ethylamine.

[0025] The electrolyte according to the present invention can be composed of the following ranges of components: about 60.0% to about 80.0% by weight ethylene glycol, about 5.0% to 30.0% by weight of a alkoxy-substituted alcohol, about 2.0% to about 5.0% by weight of an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid of carbon chain length from eight to thirteen (C₈to C₁₃), about 0.5% to about 5.0% by weight dimer acid, about 0.0% to about 0.5% by weight hypophosphorous acid solution, about 0.0% to about 2.5% by weight of a nitro-substituted aromatic compound as a degassing agent, and about 2.0% to about 6.0% by weight of an amine. The water content may be adjusted with deionized water to achieve a Karl Fischer titration (water content) measurement of 1.0-8.0%.

[0026] A representative composition according to the present invention that displays the desired properties is: 71.1% by weight ethylene glycol, 17.9% by weight 2-methoxyethanol, 3.6% by weight dodecanedioic acid, 2.3% by weight dimer acid, 0.1% by weight hypophosphorous acid (50% solution in water), 1.0% by weight o-nitroanisole, and 3.9% by weight ammonium hydroxide (30% solution in water). The electrolyte may be further neutralized with anhydrous ammonia to achieve a pH of about 6.0 to about 10.0, preferably a pH of about 6.5 to about 8.5. An exemplary electrolyte made according to this representative composition exhibited a pH of 7.4, conductivity of 3.35 mS/cm, a breakdown voltage of 545 V and a viscosity of 11.0 cP at 37° C. The equivalent resistivity for this electrolyte is 299 Ω·cm at 37° C. A capacitor impregnated with the electrolyte according to the present invention may have a working voltage of greater than 400 volts, preferably about 400V to about 450V, allowing for the possibility of a defibrillator that has a paired voltage of greater than 800 volts.

[0027] An electrolytic capacitor according to the present invention is constructed of anode and cathode layers, stacked with a paper insulator or spacer between each layer. The anode layer is composed of one or more anode foils stacked together without any paper spacer, to form a high energy density anode element. The anode and cathode layers are then grouped together in a parallel connection to produce sufficient capacitance for the intended function. This finished stack is inserted into a case with a geometry closely following the contour of the stack, and designed to minimize the space occupied inside the finished defibrillator. A wound roll configuration may also be used, as would be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art.

[0028] Aluminum foil is preferred for the anode and cathode layers, because of its ability to produce a sufficient quality oxide layer, its conductive properties, and its wide commercial availability. Other valve metal foils conventionally utilized in electrolytic capacitors could also be used, including titanium, tantalum, magnesium, niobium, zirconium and zinc. Preferably, a strip of unetched, high purity (99.99%) aluminum foil with high cubicity, wherein at least 85% of the crystalline aluminum structure is oriented in a normal position (i.e., a (1,0,0) orientation) relative to the surface of the foil, is used. Such foils are well-known in the art and are readily available from commercial sources known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] The anode foil may be etched in an aqueous halide based etch solution, typically a hydrochloric acid or sodium chloride solution, according to a conventional etch process; for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,133 describes a suitable method of etching foil and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The etch solution preferably consists of about 1.3% by weight sodium chloride, about 3.5% by weight sodium perchlorate, about 0.35% sodium persulfate, and deionized water. The etch solution preferably is heated to about 60° C. to about 95° C., more preferably 85° C. The foil is etched at a DC current density of about 0.01 A/cm²to about 0.30 A/cm², preferably 0.15 A/cm². A charge of about 20 coulombs/cm²to about 100 coulombs/cm²is passed through the foil during the etching process, with about 50 coulombs/cm²preferred, which requires a time of about 2 minutes and 13 seconds to about 11 minutes and 7 seconds, with about 5 minutes and 30 seconds preferred.

[0030] The foil is then removed from the etch solution and rinsed in deionized water. Then the tunnels formed during the initial etch are widened, or enlarged, in a secondary etch solution, typically an aqueous based nitrate solution, preferably between about 1% to about 20% aluminum nitrate, more preferably between about 10% to about 14% aluminum nitrate, with less than about 1% free nitric acid. The etch tunnels are widened to an appropriate diameter by methods known to those in the art, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,471 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,249, entirely incorporated herein by reference.

[0031] After the etch tunnels have been widened, the foil is again rinsed with deionized water and dried. Finally, a barrier oxide layer may be formed onto one or both surfaces of the metal foil by placing the foil into an electrolyte bath and applying a positive voltage to the metal foil and a negative voltage to the electrolyte. The barrier oxide layer provides a high resistance to current passing between the electrolyte and the metal foils in the finished capacitor, also referred to as the leakage current. A high leakage current can result in the poor performance and reliability of an electrolytic capacitor. In particular, a high leakage current results in greater amount of charge leaking out of the capacitor once it has been charged.

[0032] The formation process consists of applying a voltage to the foil through an electrolyte such as boric acid and water or other solutions familiar to those skilled in the art, resulting in the formation of an oxide on the surface of the anode foil. The preferred electrolyte for formation is a 100-1000 μS/cm, preferably 500 μS/cm, citric acid concentration. In the case of an aluminum anode foil, the formation process results in the formation of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) on the surface of the anode foil. The thickness of the oxide deposited or “formed” on the anode foil is proportional to the applied voltage, roughly 10 to 15 Angstroms per applied volt.

[0033] The etched and formed anode foils are cut and the capacitor assembled as discussed above. An electrolytic capacitor stack according to the present invention consists of a number of units of: cathode, a paper spacer, one or more anodes, a paper spacer and cathode; with neighboring units sharing the cathode between them.

[0034] The electrolyte of the present invention is then prepared. In one embodiment, initially, ethylene glycol, dimer acid, hypophosphorous acid and ammonium hydroxide are mixed and heated to 60° C. Alternatively, the hypophosphorous acid can be added later on during mixing. Then, dodecanedioic acid is added and the solution is further heated to at least 70° C., preferably about 75° C. to about 85° C., to allow for complete acid dissolution. Alternatively, the dodecanedioic acid may be added initially. The solution is then cooled to 50° C. or lower, preferably to 35° C., and 2-methoxyethanol and o-nitroanisole are added and mixed thoroughly. This order of addition is required to prevent precipitation of solutes, and for safety concerns. However, less volatile depolarizers, such as nitroacetophenone and nitrobenzyl alcohol may be added during the initial step. Methoxyethanol and nitroanisole, as well as other volatile alcohols and nitroaromatics, have toxicity concerns, so the addition while the solution is reasonably cool prevents significant volatility of these reagents. Then the solution may be further neutralized with anhydrous ammonia to a pH of about 6.5 to about 8.5 and the water content may be adjusted with deionized water to achieve a Karl Fischer titration (water content) measurement of about 1.0% to about 8.0%.

[0035] The pre-assembled capacitor is then vacuum impregnated with the electrolyte of the present invention, by placing the capacitor in contact with the electrolyte and reducing the pressure to less than 50 cm Hg. The capacitor is held at this low pressure for about 5 minutes to about 45 minutes with a preferred time of about 15 minutes, and then pressure is restored, using the pressure to force the electrolyte mixture into the capacitor stack. The capacitor is then removed and placed in an oven at a temperature of about 65 EC to about 90 EC with a preferred temperature of 90 EC and a maximum oxygen atmospheric concentration of about 2% for a period of about 2 hours to about 24 hours, with a preferred time of about 4 hours. The capacitor is then aged in a normal manner by applying the working voltage to the capacitor, allowing the capacitor to reach this voltage, and then allowing the current to decrease.

[0036] Electrolytic capacitors according to the present invention can be incorporated into implantable medical devices, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), as would be apparent to one skilled in the art, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,851.

[0037] Having now generally described the invention, the same will be more readily understood through reference to the following examples which are provided by way of illustration, and are not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

[0038] An electrolyte was prepared having the following formulation:

[0039] The ethylene glycol, dimer acid and ammonium hydroxide were mixed in a 200 mL tall form beaker. The mixture was then heated to 55° C., the azelaic acid was added, and the solution was heated until all solute dissolved (75° C.). The solution was then removed from stirring and allowed to cool to below 35° C. The remaining components were added and stirred in.

[0040] The resultant electrolyte exhibited a pH (28.1° C.) of 8.27 and a conductivity of 2.53 mS/cm. Water was then added to achieve a Karl Fischer titration (water content) measurement of 3.02%. A pH of 8.14, a conductivity of 3.46 mS/cm and a open cup scintillation voltage of 455 V were observed at 36.5° C.

[0041] Slide capacitors composed of a 1″×5″ glass slide sandwich consisting of either a single or a double layer anode interleaved between three 0.25 mil Kraft paper spacers and a conventional cathode (having a cathode-papers-anode(s)-papers-cathode arrangement) were impregnated with the prepared electrolyte. The single anode capacitor exhibited a capacitance of 3.2218 μF, an ESR of 17.19Ω and a breakdown voltage of 500 V. When employed in a dual-anode layer capacitor arrangement, the capacitor obtained a capacitance of 5.7845 μF and an ESR of 63.38Ω. Similarly, slide capacitors composed of either a single or a double layer anode interleaved between four 0.25 mil Kraft paper spacers and a conventional cathode were impregnated with the prepared electrolyte. The single anode capacitor exhibited a capacitance of 3.2036 μF, an ESR of 37.41Ω and a breakdown voltage of 540 V. When employed in a dual-anode layer capacitor arrangement, the capacitor obtained a capacitance of 6.1323 μF and an ESR of 59.11Ω. An average viscosity of 10.35 cP and an index of refraction, nD (20° C.) of 1.4322 were observed for the prepared electrolyte.

[0042] In an additional experiment, the prepared electrolyte was impregnated into three multi-anode configuration flat-stacked capacitors, according to the present invention, consisting of 10 layers of three anodes with an effective formation voltage of 490 volts. The capacitors were aged to 455 volts and the leakage current was tested at 450 volts. The average leakage current was 255.61 μA over one minute and 185.91 μA over 5 minutes. The capacitors obtained an average capacitance of 155.04 μF with an ESR of 1.467Ω, at 120 Hz. After a three day heat soak at 65° C., the average leakage current was observed to be 443.25 μA over one minute and 258.39 μA over 5 minutes. The capacitors obtained an average capacitance of 152.21 μF with an ESR of 1.477Ω, at 120 Hz.

[0043] An electrolyte was prepared having the following formulation:

[0044] The ethylene glycol, dimer acid and ammonium hydroxide were mixed in a 200 mL tall form beaker. The mixture was then heated to 65° C., the dodecanedioic acid was added, and the solution was heated until all solute dissolved (80° C.). The solution was then removed from stirring and allowed to cool to 35° C. The remaining components were added and stirred in. The solution precipitated upon the addition of the hypophosphorous acid.

[0045] A second experiment was conducted in which the ethylene glycol, hypophosphorous acid, dimer acid and ammonium hydroxide were mixed in a 200 mL tall form beaker. The mixture was then heated to 60° C., the dodecanedioic acid was added, and the solution was heated until all solute dissolved (80° C.). The solution was then removed from stirring and allowed to cool to 35° C. The remaining components were added and stirred in.

[0046] The resultant electrolyte exhibited a pH (27.8° C.) of 7.62 and a conductivity of 2.38 mS/cm. Water was then added to achieve a Karl Fischer titration (water content) measurement of 2.88%. A pH of 7.42, a conductivity of 3.35 mS/cm and a open cup scintillation voltage of 448 V were observed at 37.0° C.

[0047] Slide capacitors composed of a 1″×5″ glass slide sandwich consisting of either a single or a double layer anode interleaved between three 0.25 mil Kraft paper spacers and a conventional cathode (having a cathode-papers-anode(s)-papers-cathode arrangement) were impregnated with the prepared electrolyte. The single anode capacitor exhibited a capacitance of 3.2486 μF, an ESR of 16.27Ω and a breakdown voltage of 545 V. When employed in a dual-anode layer capacitor arrangement, the capacitor obtained a capacitance of 6.1550 μF and an ESR of 61.15Ω. Similarly, slide capacitors composed of either a single or a double layer anode interleaved between four 0.25 mil Kraft paper spacers and a conventional cathode were impregnated with the prepared electrolyte. The single anode capacitor exhibited a capacitance of 3.3493 μF, an ESR of 31.19Ω and a breakdown voltage of 550 V. When employed in a dual-anode layer capacitor arrangement, the capacitor obtained a capacitance of 5.7218 μF and an ESR of 72.35Ω. An average viscosity of 11.04 cP and an index of refraction, nD (20° C.) of 1.4326 were observed for the prepared electrolyte.

[0048] In an additional experiment, the prepared electrolyte was impregnated into three multi-anode configuration flat-stacked capacitors, according to the present invention, consisting of 10 layers of three anodes with an effective formation voltage of 490 volts. The capacitors were aged to 455 volts and the leakage current was tested at 450 volts. The average leakage current was 244.50 μA over one minute and 176.46 μA over 5 minutes. The capacitors obtained an average capacitance of 150.56 μF with an ESR of 1.636Ω, at 120 Hz. After a three day heat soak at 65° C., the average leakage current was observed to be 435.09 μA over one minute and 249.79 μA over 5 minutes. The capacitors obtained an average capacitance of 147.28 μF with an ESR of 1.679Ω, at 120 Hz.

[0049] While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. Additionally, all references cited herein, including journal articles or abstracts, published or corresponding U.S. or foreign patent applications, issued U.S. or foreign patents, or any other references, are each entirely incorporated by reference herein, including all data, tables, figures, and text presented in the cited references.

[0050] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art (including the contents of the references cited herein), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.