Safety-certified MLCC capacitors deliver high reliability, stability, and capacitance in small case size

Kyocera AVX has extended its broad portfolio of commercial surface-mount MLCCs by releasing its first safety-certified MLCCs, the new Class X1/Y2 KGK Series and Class X2 KGH Series.

Class-X and Class-Y safety-certified capacitors are developed to protect against surges and transients and provide EMI filtering AC line filtering applications. Class-X safety capacitors, also called across-the-line capacitors, are placed between an AC line and neutral and designed to fail short, generating an overcurrent protective device like a fuse or circuit breaker to open and stop any electrical shock hazards. Class-Y safety capacitors, also called line-to-ground capacitors, are placed between the line and ground and are designed to fail open, enabling noise and interference that the capacitor would typically filter but stopping any fatal electric shock hazards.

These safety capacitors, like the new KGK Series, can be employed as an X1 capacitor in across-the-line applications or a Y2 capacitor in line-to-ground applications. X2 safety capacitors like the new KGH Series are created for direct connection across main voltages of 250VAC or more and decrease noise by reducing the device’s input impedance.

The company’s new KGK and KGH Series safety-certified capacitors deliver high reliability, stability, and capacitance in small case sizes equipped with copper or silver/nickel/tin terminations that display superior leaching resistance during reflow soldering processes. They are also halogen-free, RoHS-compliant, TUV- and UL-certified, and compliant with IEC 60384-14:2013 and EN 60384-14:2013.

Ideal applications for the series include providing lightning and surge protection, EMI filtering, and isolation in modems, fax machines, telephones, and other consumer and industrial devices.

Both series of safety capacitors are offered in two dielectrics, NP0/C0G and X7R, and are rated for 250VAC and operating temperatures extending from -55C to +125C. They are also obtainable with a range of capacitance values and tolerances. NP0/C0G variants provide capacitance values extending from 3pF to 1,000pF. X7R variants offer capacitance values extending from 100pF to 56nF. Optional features for the series include anti-arcing properties and the company’s proprietary FLEXITERM terminations.

“The new KGK and KGH Series safety-certified capacitors complement our current commercial MLCC product portfolio and, thanks to their broad slate of certifications, allow us to provide customers all around the world with a complete package of parts for any application that requires a safety capacitor,” said Zack Kozawa, product manager, Kyocera AVX.