Electrostatic discharge materials (ESD materials) are plastics that reduce static electricity to protect against damage to electrostatic-sensitive devices (ESD) or to prevent the accidental ignition of flammable liquids or gases.
Materials The properties relevant to a material in an ESD context are:
Conductivity: how well it passes electricity. When dealing in thin sheets, sheet resistance is used, describing the resistance of a square of the material for a current flowing from one edge to the opposite edge. The value is depends on the thickness of the material. Antistatic: whether rubbing can cause dangerous electrostatic buildup (> 1000 V) on the material via triboelectric effect. Static-dissipation: whether any existing static charge can be gradually removed by conducting through the material. Shielding: whether the electromagnetic field due to an electrostatic discharge from the outside results in a non-dangerous amount of voltage on the inside. Isolation: whether the two sides of the material are electrically isolated enough, so that any discharge that happens across the material is weak enough.
See also
Antistatic device Electrostatic discharge Electrical resistivity and conductivity Velostat
References
Further reading The Wiley Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology; 1st Edition; Kit. L. Yam; John Wiley & Sons; 1353 pages; 2009; ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6. Plastics Additives Handbook; 6th Edition; Zweifel, Maier, Schiller; Hanser Publications; 1222 pages; 2009; ISBN 978-1569904305. Handbook of Conducting Polymers; 3rd Edition; Skotheim and Reynolds; CRC Press; 1680 pages; 2007; ISBN 978-1574446654. Conductive Polymers and Plastics: In Industrial Applications; 1st Edition; Larry Rupprecht; Elsevier; 293 pages; 1999; ISBN 978-0815516569. Plastics Additives and Modifiers Handbook ; 1st Edition; Jesse Edenbaum; Springer; 1136 pages; 1992; ISBN 978-0442234508. Metal-Filled Polymers: Properties and Applications; 1st Edition; S.K. Bhattacharya; CRC Press; 376 pages; 1986; ISBN 978-0824775551.
External links http://www.esda.org - ESD Association ESD packaging advice - Intel Workmanship Manual for Electrostatic Discharge Control - NASA