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Overview

General comment

Production covered

Aluminum electrolytic capacitor using etched Al foil anode, Al2O3 dielectric, and liquid electrolyte or solid polymer cathode. High capacitance values at low cost. Used for bulk energy storage, filtering, and power supply applications. Polymer variants offer lower ESR. This dataset describes ONE piece of a stated size - a small radial capacitor whose case size and mass are stated on this dataset - and every amount on it is per that piece.

Modelling choices

A dataset that consumes it for a larger part, such as a snap-in bulk capacitor, is scaled by the ratio of the two masses, so the quantity it publishes is a number of reference pieces and not a number of capacitors. That ratio reproduces the consumer's declared capacitor mass, so the materials are right in total; how much of the manufacturing energy of a larger can grows with its mass is not established here. This dataset is modelled with no water reuse. No reclaim rate is published for this kind of plant, so the water shown is the full fresh intake and no recycling credit has been deducted from it.

Technology
Electrolytic, Wet or Solid Polymer
Geography
Global average data from equipment vendor specifications and industry literature
Terms used above
  • ESR equivalent series resistance

System boundary

System boundary - Aluminum ElectrolyticSystem boundary figure: identity, gate in, entering flows, the dashed system boundary and the unit processes inside it, the reference product, emissions and waste, and below it the flows that are recorded but not quantified. No inventory quantities.Aluminum ElectrolyticGATE INRaw aluminum foil, paper separator, andelectrolyte/chemical materialsENTERING FLOWSElectricityWaterProcess chemicalsMaterialsSYSTEM BOUNDARYMODELLED PROCESS SEQUENCEProcess sequenceFoil etchingFormingFoil slittingTab attachmentWindingImpregnationAssemblyAgingSleevingTestingPackagingREFERENCE PRODUCTAluminum ElectrolyticTested and taped passive componentEMISSIONS AND WASTEEmissions to airEmissions to waterWaste routesRECORDED BUT NOT QUANTIFIEDIn scope, left out of the quantified inventoryCut off below the significance threshold, or with no background dataset available - each is listed with its reason2FLOWSsystem boundaryreference flowentering flowemission / waste

The figure groups this dataset's unit processes by class. It is not a count of manufacturing steps — each process runs over as many passes as the flow requires, and those pass counts ship with the dataset.

Download this figure (SVG)

Data quality and references

Composite DQI 2.5 Good
Reliability
2.4
Completeness
3.1
Temporal
2.1
Geographic
2.5
Technological
2.4

Pedigree scores follow the ecoinvent data-quality matrix: 1 is the best attainable, 5 the weakest. The composite is their aggregate.

Sampling procedure
Component vendor specifications, industry literature
Coverage status
Partial
Pedigree-scored source files
3 — the source records behind this dataset's manufacturing operations. Each carries the five pedigree axes above; the composite DQI aggregates them.

Technosphere inputs

19 flows. Quantities are not published; they ship with the dataset on Circa.

Electricity, China (CN) ElectricitykWh · ±30%
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from equipment energy across all manufacturing operations. It also covers the facility support this model includes: cooling water, bulk gases, acid fume scrubbing and wastewater treatment.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
electricity, medium voltage
Uncertainty
±30% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
kWh
Electricity, China (CN) - Cooling Water ElectricitykWh · ±50%
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from equipment energy across all manufacturing operations. It also covers the facility support this model includes: cooling water, bulk gases, acid fume scrubbing and wastewater treatment.

The sources for this row are listed below.

Source citations
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
electricity, medium voltage
Uncertainty
±50% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
kWh
Electricity, China (CN) - Waste Treatment ElectricitykWh · ±40%
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from equipment energy across all manufacturing operations. It also covers the facility support this model includes: cooling water, bulk gases, acid fume scrubbing and wastewater treatment.

The sources for this row are listed below.

Source citations
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
electricity, medium voltage
Uncertainty
±40% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
kWh
Electricity, China (CN) - Bulk Gas Supply ElectricitykWh · -60% / +200%
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from equipment energy across all manufacturing operations. It also covers the facility support this model includes: cooling water, bulk gases, acid fume scrubbing and wastewater treatment.

The sources for this row are listed below.

Source citations
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
electricity, medium voltage
Uncertainty
-60% / +200% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
kWh
Electricity, China (CN) - Acid Fume Scrubbing ElectricitykWh · -0% / +300%
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from equipment energy across all manufacturing operations. It also covers the facility support this model includes: cooling water, bulk gases, acid fume scrubbing and wastewater treatment.

The sources for this row are listed below.

Source citations
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
electricity, medium voltage
Uncertainty
-0% / +300% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
kWh
Fresh water WaterL · ±25%
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from process-water and ultrapure-water demand across all manufacturing operations, plus facility water allocated to each finished unit. The fresh intake shown is that whole demand: the water-recycling scenario this dataset assumes reuses none of it, so nothing has been deducted, and wastewater follows the same balance.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
tap water
Notes
Process and cleaning water
Uncertainty
±25% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
L
Cooling tower makeup water WaterL · ±50%
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from process-water and ultrapure-water demand across all manufacturing operations, plus facility water allocated to each finished unit. The fresh intake shown is that whole demand: the water-recycling scenario this dataset assumes reuses none of it, so nothing has been deducted, and wastewater follows the same balance.

The sources for this row are listed below.

Source citations
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
tap water
Uncertainty
±50% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
L
HCl Process chemicalmL
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
hydrochloric acid, without water, in 30% solution state
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
mL
Hno3 Process chemicalmL
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
nitric acid, without water, in 50% solution state
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
mL
Boric Acid Process chemicalg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
boric acid, anhydrous, powder
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
g
GBL Process chemicalg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
solvent, organic
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
g
Ammonium Salt Process chemicalg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
proxy-mapped
Background dataset
ammonium sulfate
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
g
Anode Foil Materialkg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
aluminium, wrought alloy
Notes
Purchased input grossed to fund the authored process loss booked as Al Foil Trim (mass-closure funding; the retained mass is the product-side figure).
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg
Cathode Foil Materialkg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
aluminium, wrought alloy
Notes
Purchased input grossed to fund the authored process loss booked as Al Foil Trim (mass-closure funding; the retained mass is the product-side figure).
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg
Paper Separator Materialkg · -66% / +14%
Background data
proxy-mapped
Background dataset
kraft paper
Uncertainty
-66% / +14% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
kg
Solvent, organic Materialkg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
solvent, organic
Notes
From Electrolyte (83.3% gamma butyrolactone). GBL working solvent, at the 250:50 GBL-to-salt ratio the model's own chemicals block states; the generic organic-solvent dataset is a declared proxy, GBL has none
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg
Ammonium sulfate Materialkg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
ammonium sulfate
Notes
From Electrolyte (16.7% ammonium salt). Conductive ammonium salt (adipate/pentaborate class). PROXY: the ecoinvent 3.12 target is ammonium sulfate on a SALT-MASS reference flow, so the link is mass-for-mass and needs no basis conversion, but the real salts here are different molecules again and no ammonium adipate/pentaborate dataset exists in 3.12.
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg
Al Can Materialkg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
aluminium, wrought alloy
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg
Rubber Seal Materialkg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from per-operation consumption, operation counts, and manufacturing yield.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12
Background dataset
synthetic rubber
Notes
Purchased input grossed to fund the authored process loss booked as Rubber Trim (mass-closure funding; the retained mass is the product-side figure).
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg

Outputs and waste

Cooling tower blowdown Wastewaterm3 · ±50%
Source citations
Background data
carried, no background dataset
Background dataset
No treatment route recorded for this output.
Uncertainty
±50% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
m3
Waste treatment Wastewaterm3 · ±25%
Source citations
Background data
carried, no background dataset
Background dataset
No treatment route recorded for this output.
Uncertainty
±25% around the published quantity. The bounds themselves ship with the dataset on Circa.
Unit
m3
Al Foil Trim Solid wasteg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from the mass balance of spent materials and consumables, with treatment selected from the waste classification.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset
market for aluminium scrap, new
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
g
Rubber Trim Solid wasteg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from the mass balance of spent materials and consumables, with treatment selected from the waste classification.

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset
treatment of inert waste, sanitary landfill
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
g
Reject Capacitors Solid wastekg
Derivation basis
  • Calculated from the mass balance of spent materials and consumables, with treatment selected from the waste classification.

The sources below are this dataset's own bibliography. They are not tied to this row.

Source citations (dataset-level)
Inherited from this dataset's own bibliography, not tied to this row:
Background data
ecoinvent 3.12 treatment route
Background dataset
treatment of inert waste, sanitary landfill
Notes
Calculated reject material after accounting for the model's declared 95% manufacturing yield, applied to the material quantity this row is taken from.
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg

Emissions to air

1 elementary flow released to air by this dataset's own operations. Quantities are not published; they ship with the dataset on Circa.

VOCs Emission to airg
Derivation basis
  • Authored at the model: emission factor declared by the model itself, converted from its authored unit to grams per functional unit. It is not re-derived from the process-gas inputs and no point-of-use abatement is applied to it; the model's own notes and sources carry the factor's basis

No source is attached to this row.

Source citations
Not stated
Compartment
Air (non-urban air or from high stacks)
ecoinvent 3.12 elementary flow
NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compounds
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
g

Emissions to water

No emissions to water are recorded at this level.

Flows not quantified

2 flows are recorded for this dataset but carry no quantity — cut off below the significance threshold, or with no background dataset available. They remain inside the declared system boundary; each is listed with its reason.

Not modelled (2)

Compressed dry air Process gasm3
Derivation basis
Not stated
Source citations
Not stated
Background data
not modelled
Background dataset
Not applicable: this flow is not quantified in the inventory.
Reason
Compressed dry air is a known facility input for this category; no allocation driver has been established, so it is recorded but not quantified - deferred, not judged immaterial.
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
m3
Facility gas mass Process gaskg
Derivation basis
Not stated
Source citations
Not stated
Background data
not modelled
Background dataset
Not applicable: this flow is not quantified in the inventory.
Reason
Facility gas mass is a known facility input for this category; no allocation driver has been established, so it is recorded but not quantified - deferred, not judged immaterial.
Uncertainty
No range defined.
Unit
kg

Limitations and unquantified flows (2)

Limits this dataset declares about itself: first any limit stated in its own description, then any limit it declares flow by flow, grouped by channel. Each entry below is the model's own disclosure.

Process gases

  • These flows are named in this inventory but ship without a quantity, so their burden is not carried anywhere in the dataset: Compressed dry air; Facility gas mass. Each row states its own reason on the row itself.

General

  • The size range this dataset covers is not established. Its amounts are per one small radial capacitor of the case size stated on this dataset, and several datasets in this collection draw on it for much larger parts by scaling on mass. That scaling reproduces the larger part's mass, so its materials are right in total, but no public source was found for how the manufacturing energy of a wet aluminum electrolytic capacitor scales from a one-gram radial to a snap-in can, and the two readings available inside this project disagree by about a factor of ten. The per-piece energy shipped here is therefore sound for the part described and is NOT established for parts of a different size class.

The flows above are this dataset's own records. What follows are the scope rules set once for the whole database in the methodology report, repeated here so every dataset page carries them.

Database-wide boundary policy — applies to every REEL dataset

These boundaries are set once for the whole database, in Chapter 2 of the methodology report, and apply to this dataset wherever they are relevant to it. The excluded flows listed above are specific to this dataset.

Use phase
Product operation is outside the cradle-to-gate scope.
End-of-life treatment
Recycling and disposal are outside the cradle-to-gate scope.
Distribution and retail
The gate is a finished component ready for integration into a higher-level assembly.
Inbound transport of raw materials
Transport of purchased raw materials to the manufacturing facility is already inside the upstream "market for" datasets that users link to a background database, so it is not modelled a second time here. This does not cover freight between REEL production stages, which is modelled where a dataset authors it.
Returnable shipping containers
Where freight between production stages is modelled, the mass moved is the product itself. The shipping container (FOSB, SEMI M31) is returnable capital equipment whose per-trip share is unsourced, so its tare is excluded from the transport effort.
Photomask fabrication
A mask set's embodied burden is amortised across a high-volume production run and is not attributed per wafer. Users assessing low-volume production should add mask fabrication separately; the methodology report gives the basis for the exclusion.
Employee transport, administration and R&D overhead
Employee transportation, facility administration and R&D/pilot-production overhead are outside scope.
Capital goods
Manufacturing equipment, cleanroom construction and facility infrastructure are excluded, on the grounds of absent public data on equipment embodied energy, uncertainty in equipment lifetime and allocation, common practice in electronics LCA, and a focus on the operational inventory. Future versions may include capital goods when sufficient public data becomes available.
Precious metal recovery credits
Scrap recovery credits for precious metals are excluded pending data availability.
Wafer reclaim
Test wafers and scrap are outside the system boundary.

Inside the boundary, linked rather than modelled

Silicon ingot growth and wafer slicing
Inside the cradle-to-gate scope, but treated as upstream material inputs linked to background databases rather than modelled as REEL processes.
Freight between production stages
Where a dataset's product moves between REEL production stages - wafer fabrication to the packaging site, for example - that leg is authored as a transport service and linked to an ecoinvent freight activity. It is measured as a transport effort in tonne-kilometres, not as a mass. Route distances are authored per route class with a stated band; a lower bound of zero is a modelling statement that the two sites can be co-located, not a missing value.

Cut-off criteria

A flow is excluded from a process inventory when it contributes less than 1 % of the total mass of inputs to that unit process, or less than 1 % of its total energy input. The denominator is total process inputs, not product mass. That distinction matters in semiconductor manufacturing, where the input mass of water, chemicals and gases greatly exceeds the product mass, so the threshold removes only genuinely minor flows.

Included regardless of the cut-off

  • Perfluorocarbons (CF4, C2F6, SF6, NF3) - high GWP, EPA regulated
  • Heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr(VI)) - RoHS regulated, high toxicity
  • Volatile organics (photoresist solvents, PGMEA) - air quality
  • Precious metals (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt) - high embodied impacts
  • Ozone-depleting substances (legacy CFCs, HCFCs) - Montreal Protocol