German BOPP film producer Treofan (Raunheim; www.treofan.com) is planning further enhancements to its ultra-thin capacitor films after winning a European award for its latest innovation. Its “PHD 1.9” film, developed in partnership with Borealis (Vienna / Austria; www.borealisgroup.com), won the award for Best Lightweight Innovation at the "First European Plastics Innovation Awards" – see Plasteurope.com of 08.02.2016. It is the first European capacitor film thinner than 2 micron.

Overall, the 1.9 micron film boosts a component’s efficiency by roughly 30% compared with a conventional 2.4 micron film, Treofan said. The company worked with Borealis to optimise the molecular structure of “PHD 1.9”, while at the same time making improvements to its specialised production line at Neunkirchen / Germany (see Plasteurope.com of 21.10.2015). Treofan said further enhancements were planned with the goal of making even thinner and more efficient films in the medium term.

Ultra-thin films increase storage capacity per unit area while also reducing the capacitor’s weight, meaning less cooling is required, leading to savings in energy and operating costs. Storing and rapidly releasing large amounts of energy play a crucial role in next-generation technologies such as electric cars and wind power. The main challenge, according to Treofan, is combining the extreme mechanical strength demanded by high production speeds with outstanding homogeneous electrical and thermal properties.

Yvonne Düpre, head of innovation at Treofan Germany, said the development of ultra-thin capacitor films perfectly reflected the company’s innovation strategy, which focuses on the entire value chain – from raw materials and processing to the end-consumer.