Patent ID: 8363384

Claim:
An electrolytic capacitor, comprising: at least two electrodes in a hermetic electrolytic environment; and a solid, composite getter for the sorption of gas in contact with the electrolytic environment and comprising a metal getter having a surface area in contact with a palladium compound, wherein the combination of the metal getter and palladium compound inhibits passivation of the getter material by the electrolytic environment; wherein the solid, composite getter comprises a combination of (i) a metal getter comprising zirconium or titanium and (ii) a palladium compound comprising palladium, an oxide of palladium, or a palladium alloy, wherein the combination of the metal getter and palladium compound inhibits passivation of the getter material by the electrolyte environment; wherein the composite getter is in the form of a sheet for retaining the metal getter in a desired region of an electrolyte solution in an electrolytic device; and wherein the sheet is a foil of the metal getter having a thickness ranging from about 20 microns to about 400 microns and coated with a thin film of the palladium compound having a thickness ranging from about 20 to about 400 nanometers.