Published: November 5th 2009. Updated: December 27th 2020.

European capacitor material codes

FKC

Metal foil and Polycarbonate dielectric film. See MKC for more details.

FKP

Metal foil and Polypropylene dielectric film. See MKP for more details.

MKC

Metalized Polycarbonate foil. Extremely temperature stable with less than 1% capacitance tolerance between -55ºC to +125ºC. Small size, high Q and capacitance stability make them ideally suited to filter network and other low-loss high frequency applications.

MKI / PPS

Metalized Polyphenylene sulphide foil. Extremely temperature stable with less than 1% capacitance tolerance between -55ºC to +125ºC. Small size, high Q and capacitance stability make them ideally suited to filter network and other low-loss high frequency applications.

MKP / PP / Polypropylene

Metallized Polypropylene foil. Known as power film capacitors. Very Low ESR, high stability and can found in 1% tolerance versions and can operate at temperatures up to 110°C. Suitable for high power AC circuits, circuits with high peak currents, high frequency resonant circuits, precision timing circuits, switch mode power supplies, sample and hold circuits, high frequency pulse discharge circuits and energy storage circuits. High internal resistance results in low levels of self discharge.

MKS / PS / Polystyrene

Metal foil and Polystyrene dielectric film. A metalized version was unsuccessful due to the low melting point of the dielectric. Suitable for precision-tuned circuits due to the extreme stability in the 0°C thru +50°C range and it has long-term stability. The dielectric has a maximum operating temperature of +85°C. It will melt at +100°C.

MKT / PET / Mylar / Polyester

Metalized polyester foil. Known as Mylar, Polyester or Polyethylene terephthalate PET capacitors. Low ESR and can operate at temperatures up to 125°C, without much voltage derating. Suitable to be used for high frequency filtering, outdoor applications where moisture can be a problem, high voltage or current peaks in circuits and coupling and de-coupling circuits.

Decoding capacitor codes

Looking at our capacitor we will see its marked 474J, this should be read as follows, 47 times the value that can be found in Table 1 corresponding to the 3rd number, in this case 10000. 47 * 10000 = 470000 pF = 470 nF = 0.47 uF with the J meaning a 5% tolerance. A second letter will be a temperature coefficient if its present. Judging by a capacitors size and type, you will quickly learn to determine if the value on the capacitor is given in pF, nF or uF.

If a capacitor is f.ex. marked 2A474J, the capacitance is decoded as described above, the two first signs is the voltage rating and can be decoded from table 2 here below. 2A is 100VDC rating according to the EIA standard.

Some capacitors are only marked 0.1 or 0.01, mostly in these cases the values are given in uF.

Some small capacitance capacitors can be marked with a R between numbers, f.ex. 3R9 where R is a indicator of values below 10pF and have nothing to do with resistance. 3R9 would be 3.9pF.

Table 1 – Capacitor codes with letters and tolerances

3rd number	Multiply with	Letter	Tolerance
0	1	D	0.5pF
1	10	F	1%
2	100	G	2%
3	1,000	H	3%
4	10,000	J	5%
5	100,000	K	10%
6	1,000,000	M	20%
7	Not used	M	20%
8	0.01	P	+100%/-0%
9	0.1	Z	+80%/-20%

Table 2A – Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) – DC voltage code table

0E = 2.5 VDC	2A = 100 VDC	3A = 1 kVDC
0G = 4.0 VDC	2Q = 110 VDC	3L = 1.2 kVDC
0L = 5.5 VDC	2B = 125 VDC	3B = 1.25 kVDC
0J = 6.3 VDC	2C = 160 VDC	3N = 1.5 kVDC
1A = 10 VDC	2Z = 180 VDC	3C = 1.6 kVDC
1C = 16 VDC	2D = 200 VDC	3D = 2 kVDC
1D = 20 VDC	2P = 220 VDC	3E = 2.5 kVDC
1E = 25 VDC	2E = 250 VDC	3F = 3 kVDC
1V = 35 VDC	2F = 315 VDC	3G = 4 kVDC
1G = 40 VDC	2V = 350 VDC	3H = 5 kVDC
1H = 50 VDC	2G = 400 VDC	3I = 6 kVDC
1J = 63 VDC	2W = 450 VDC	3J = 6.3 kVDC
1M = 70 VDC	2J = 630 VDC	3U = 7.5 kVDC
1U = 75 VDC	2I = 650 VDC	3K = 8 kVDC
1K = 80 VDC	2K = 800 VDC	4A = 10 kVDC

Table 2B – Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) – AC voltage code table

2Q = 125 VAC	2T = 250 VAC	2S = 275 VAC
2X = 280 VAC	2F = 300 VAC	I0 = 305 VAC
L0 = 350 VAC	2Y = 400 VAC	P0 = 440 VAC
Q0 = 450 VAC	V0 = 630 VAC

Here is a list of common capacitors and a scale between the different grades of the Farad SI unit.

Table 3 – Capacitor code table

pico-farad (pF)	nano-farad (nF)	mikro-farad (mF, uF or mfd)	Capacitor code
1 pF	0.001 nF	0.000001 uF	010
1.5 pF	0.0015 nF	0.0000015 uF	1R5
2.2 pF	0.0022 nF	0.0000022 uF	2R2
3.3 pF	0.0033 nF	0.0000033 uF	3R3
3.9 pF	0.0039 nF	0.0000039 uF	3R9
4.7 pF	0.0047 nF	0.0000047 uF	4R7
5.6 pF	0.0056 nF	0.0000056 uF	5R6
6.8 pF	0.0068 nF	0.0000068 uF	6R8
8.2 pF	0.0082 nF	0.0000082 uF	8R2
10 pF	0.01 nF	0.00001 uF	100
15 pF	0.015 nF	0.000015 uF	150
22 pF	0.022 nF	0.000022 uF	220
33 pF	0.033 nF	0.000033 uF	330
47 pF	0.047 nF	0.000047 uF	470
56 pF	0.056 nF	0.000056 uF	560
68 pF	0.068 nF	0.000068 uF	680
82 pF	0.082 nF	0.000082 uF	820
100 pF	0.1 nF	0.0001 uF	101
120 pF	0.12 nF	0.00012 uF	121
130 pF	0.13 nF	0.00013 uF	131
150 pF	0.15 nF	0.00015 uF	151
180 pF	0.18 nF	0.00018 uF	181
220 pF	0.22 nF	0.00022 uF	221
330 pF	0.33 nF	0.00033 uF	331
470 pF	0.47 nF	0.00047 uF	471
560 pF	0.56 nF	0.00056 uF	561
680 pF	0.68 nF	0.00068 uF	681
750 pF	0.75 nF	0.00075 uF	751
820 pF	0.82 nF	0.00082 uF	821
1000 pF	1 / 1n / 1 nF	0.001 uF	102
1500 pF	1.5 / 1n5 / 1.5 nF	0.0015 uF	152
2000 pF	2 / 2n / 2 nF	0.002 uF	202
2200 pF	2.2 / 2n2 / 2.2 nF	0.0022 uF	222
3300 pF	3.3 / 3n3 / 3.3 nF	0.0033 uF	332
4700 pF	4.7 / 4n7 / 4.7 nF	0.0047 uF	472
5000 pF	5 / 5n / 5 nF	0.005 uF	502
5600 pF	5.6 / 5n6 / 5.6 nF	0.0056 uF	562
6800 pF	6.8 / 6n8 / 6.8 nF	0.0068 uF	682
10000 pF	10 / 10n / 10 nF	0.01 uF	103
15000 pF	15 / 15n / 15 nF	0.015 uF	153
22000 pF	22 / 22n / 22 nF	0.022 uF	223
33000 pF	33 / 33n / 33 nF	0.033 uF	333
47000 pF	47 / 47n / 47 nF	0.047 uF	473
68000 pF	68 / 68n / 68 nF	0.068 uF	683
100000 pF	100 / 100n / 100 nF	0.1 uF	104
150000 pF	150 / 150n / 150 nF	0.15 uF	154
200000 pF	200 / 200n / 200 nF	0.20 uF	204
220000 pF	220 / 220n / 220 nF	0.22 uF	224
330000 pF	330 / 330n / 330nF	0.33 uF	334
470000 pF	470 / 470n / 470nF	0.47 uF	474
680000 pF	680 nF	0.68 uF	684
1000000 pF	1000 nF	1.0 uF	105
1500000 pF	1500 nF	1.5 uF	155
2000000 pF	2000 nF	2.0 uF	205
2200000 pF	2200 nF	2.2 uF	225
3300000 pF	3300 nF	3.3 uF	335
4700000 pF	4700 nF	4.7 uF	475
6800000 pF	6800 nF	6.8 uF	685
10000000 pF	10000 nF	10 uF	106
15000000 pF	15000 nF	15 uF	156
20000000 pF	20000 nF	20 uF	206
22000000 pF	22000 nF	22 uF	226
33000000 pF	33000 nF	33 uF	336
47000000 pF	47000 nF	47 uF	476
68000000 pF	68000 nF	68 uF	686
100000000 pF	100000 nF	100 uF	107
330000000 pF	330000 nF	330 uF	337
470000000 pF	470000 nF	470 uF	477
680000000 pF	680000 nF	680 uF	687
1000000000 pF	1000000 nF	1000 uF	108

I hope you found all this information helpful. Please leave a comment with picture for help to identify a capacitor.