Why do you ask? Or, what are you afraid from?
A good friend keeps buying and using NOS electrolytics, even though current ones are about 1000x "better", and will probably only improve.
Also film caps are getting much better, and cheaper. For tube fans there are good options for making a electrolytics free amp.
A good friend keeps buying and using NOS electrolytics, even though current ones are about 1000x "better", and will probably only improve.
Also film caps are getting much better, and cheaper. For tube fans there are good options for making a electrolytics free amp.
Yes for certain, for instance Digi-key have over 100,000 parts of Al electrolytics for sale (twice the number of MOSFET parts they stock). You worried MOSFETs will die out too?
About no electronic device can do without them so yes. Probably not in all values and working voltages though. What already can be seen is an increase in price to irrealistic levels but this counts for many parts as distributors are bought themselves and the new companies are mainly US based. Shipping is extra cost. Prices are still steadily increasing so for DIY it would not hurt to stock often used parts. This used to be a bad habit (stuff ages, technology goes on etc.) but is now less so. Then buy simple very good stuff suitable for stocking and high chance of using in the next 5 years or so. Count small transformers in, TH opamps, large value caps, TH Schottky diodes. All by reputable brands as their possible replacement will likely be a chinese version and of course in SMD.
In the case of Germany this counts for many items also for house installations etc. I noted that I needed an extra brass extension coupler for a faucet as I already had 1 still with the old price label which was 75 Eurocent. Yesterday I bought the second one for 5,44. It does not hurt to take a look around in the home and check the age & state of switches, faucets, drains, dish washer etc. and make a list of stuff likely to need a replacement. Both materials and labour costs are going up.
Film caps are only becoming cheaper when chinese brands are bought and apparently these are already fully accepted. Makes one wonder what their quality is besides their nice appearance and gold lettering. The trend that can be noticed is to buy cheapest as possible and younger hobbyists don't seem to have notion of what quality is as they are used to throw away stuff. When this stays like this one can sell anything with a longevity of 2 years and no one will complain.
In the case of Germany this counts for many items also for house installations etc. I noted that I needed an extra brass extension coupler for a faucet as I already had 1 still with the old price label which was 75 Eurocent. Yesterday I bought the second one for 5,44. It does not hurt to take a look around in the home and check the age & state of switches, faucets, drains, dish washer etc. and make a list of stuff likely to need a replacement. Both materials and labour costs are going up.
Film caps are only becoming cheaper when chinese brands are bought and apparently these are already fully accepted. Makes one wonder what their quality is besides their nice appearance and gold lettering. The trend that can be noticed is to buy cheapest as possible and younger hobbyists don't seem to have notion of what quality is as they are used to throw away stuff. When this stays like this one can sell anything with a longevity of 2 years and no one will complain.
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Since electrolytic capacitors are used for smoothing power supply voltages and old power supplies are replaced by switching power supplies, I suspect that in the future, high value electrolytic capacitors will become more expensive and harder to find. Switching power supplies due to their high switching frequencies use much smaller electrolytic capacitors. It is normal for an old power supply to use a 12000 micro Farad capacitor, but absolutely not normal for a switching power supply to use such a capacitance.
If you look at many off line smps designs they rectify the AC and hold it up with a ecap. They are used on the secondaries as well. Look inside a LED lamp, what do you see, a ecap, doing the same thing. That should answer your ?
Difficult language because of its imprecise character & in general sloppy usage but OP asks if it will be possible to buy or even obtain electrolytic capacitors in 20 years. Possible for OP that is. Between the lines: possible to a private person, possible with regards to inconveniences/barriers.
Not if these are still being produced in 20 years.
Not if these are still being produced in 20 years.
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If there is an application for them then they will be produced. We can be certain that off line smps and LED lamps will be made for many years to come. Use computer grade screw terminal ecaps as an example of big ecaps being discontinued because of change in technology of power supplies