Low Leakage & Long Life Super Capacitors for Energy Retention

jb® Super Capacitors are designed to deliver both ultra-low leakage current and long cycle life for applications in smart meters, IoT sensor nodes, memory backup systems, and industrial controls. They combine low ESR, stable voltage, and robust aging performance to ensure energy retention over extended periods.

Fundamentals of Low Leakage & Self-Discharge

Supercapacitors inherently exhibit self-discharge (leakage) due to ion migration, charge redistribution, and faradaic side reactions. Industry white papers report that leakage current typically decays with time (hours–days) and is temperature-dependent [1]. Modeling leakage with a parallel resistance in the RC network yields more realistic behavior predictions [2].

Recent studies analyze suppression mechanisms—Ohmic, Faradaic, and redistribution—and propose mitigation strategies [3]. Analytical, leakage-aware formulas further improve prediction of voltage–time curves under load [2].

Materials, Electrolytes & ESR Tradeoffs

Electrode, electrolyte, and separator choices impact both ESR and leakage. Reviews highlight that high ionic conductivity reduces ESR but impurities or side reactions can raise leakage [4]. Novel electrolyte systems and purification techniques aim to balance conductivity, stability, and leakage suppression [5].

Aging mechanisms matter: over time, capacitance may decrease while ESR rises. Elevated voltage or temperature accelerates degradation—binder breakdown, contact resistance growth, and electrolyte decomposition [6]. Long-life studies survey failure modes and durability pathways in supercapacitors [7].

Modeling & Lifetime Prediction

For design confidence, lifetime estimation is essential. Data-driven and physics-based models are used to forecast remaining useful life (RUL) [8]. Incorporating a leakage branch (parallel resistance) improves accuracy under partial states of charge and non-ideal conditions [2].

In practice, some standards and handbooks consider end-of-life when capacitance falls to ~70–80% of rated value or ESR doubles [9]. Robust designs aim to minimize leakage, maintain structural stability, and control internal heating across duty cycles.

Applications & Real-World Use Cases

• Smart Meters / Grid — months-long retention without voltage drop.
• IoT / Sensor Nodes — minimal self-discharge extends duty cycles and harvest intervals.
• Memory & RTC Backup — preserve data during outages and cold starts.
• Industrial / Automation — bridge transient loads and absorb regenerative pulses.

Hybrid battery–supercapacitor systems let the SC supply high-power spikes, reducing battery stress and extending battery life—common in EV and power electronics literature [10].

Demo Video

Transient load performance and ESR behavior during pulse discharge.

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Overview: low leakage & long life supercapacitor architecture.

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Datasheets & Support for Design Engineers

Consult datasheets for ESR vs frequency, leakage current curves, lifetime modeling, and thermal behavior. Validate with system-level simulation to ensure leakage over months remains within thresholds. Our team can help you choose among coin, combined, and module types by voltage, temperature, and retention needs.

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References

1. Vishay. How to Manage Leakage Current and Self-Discharge of EDLC Capacitors. 2025. PDF — supercapacitor self-discharge & leakage current control (Vishay)
2. Ali, Z. M.; Calasan, M.; Aleem, S. H. E. A.; Hasanien, H. M. (2023). On the Exact Analytical Formulas of Leakage-Current-Based Supercapacitor Model Operating in Industrial Applications. Energies 16(4):1903 (MDPI). leakage-aware supercapacitor modeling (MDPI)
3. Shang, W. et al. (2023). Insight into the Self-Discharge Suppression of Supercapacitors. review — mechanisms & suppression strategies (ScienceDirect)
4. Dissanayake, K. et al. (2024). A Review of Supercapacitors: Materials, Technology, Challenges, and Applications. materials, ESR & leakage trade-offs (ScienceDirect)
5. Mendhe, A. et al. (2023). A Review on Electrolytes for Supercapacitor Device. Springer. electrolytes & purification for low ESR / low leakage (Springer)
6. Chen, X. et al. (2023). Aging and Degradation of Supercapacitors: Causes, Mechanisms and Prevention. open-access review — ageing under high V/T (PMC)
7. Pameté, W. et al. (2023). The Many Deaths of Supercapacitors: Degradation, Aging, and Performance Fading. Advanced Energy Materials. PDF mirror — failure modes & durability (AEM)
8. Yi, Z. et al. (2022). Prediction of the Remaining Useful Life of Supercapacitors: A Review. Hindawi. RUL models — data-driven & physics-based (open PDF)
9. Wikipedia contributors. (updated). Supercapacitor — overview & typical EOL criteria (capacitance drop / ESR rise). supercapacitor fundamentals & end-of-life (Wikipedia)
10. Vishay. Power Management Solution: Constant Voltage (CV) Pulse Charging of Hybrid Capacitors. Application Note, 2018. hybrid battery–supercapacitor systems & lifetime (Vishay)