Static control products are used to control electrostatic discharge (ESD) in electronics manufacturing and other industrial applications. Some companies use personal grounding devices such as wrist straps or cods, gloves, and anti-static straps for grounding shoes. Other use static electricity control equipment or complete static control systems. Examples of static control products include static control mats, static control bars, and static controllers such as aprons and coats or chair covers. Anti-static mats are usually made of vinyl or rubber on used on tabletops, countertops, or floors. A static control mat can be either conductive or dissipative, depending on the application. A static control bar or ionizer bar can be used to neutralize existing static electricity by producing both positively- and negatively-charged ions. Static control bars and related static control products are useful in web or sheet manufacturing applications.  

Types of Static Control Products

Although there are many different static control products, this product area is divided into five basic types: industrial coatings, industrial floor mats, industrial tape, ionizers and static eliminators, specialty polymers and resins, and workbenches or workstations. Industrial coatings are deposited as thin films to provide or enhance a material’s static control properties. Industrial floor mats include rubber mats and matting, modular floor mat systems, and other matting for static control. Industrial tape is used for ESD control as well as for adhesive bonding, thread sealing, masking, packaging, wrapping, and electrical insulation. Ionizers and static eliminators are devices which eliminate static and dust, and neutralize and clean surfaces at remote distances. Specialty polymers and resins include a variety of plastics and elastomers for static control. Industrial workbenches and workstations are static control products such as electronic assembly benches. 

Technology Types

Technology type and substrate are important parameters when selecting static control products. Technology type describes the way in which static control products are applied to metal, paper, plastic, rubber, textile, or wooden substrates. Choices include aerosols, air setting or film drying, two-component systems, and UV or radiation curing. Aerosol static control products are dispersed as a spray. Air setting or film drying materials form a bond by evaporating water or an organic solvent. Two or multi-component systems consist of two or more resins or a resin and a hardener, crosslinker, activator or catalyst that, when combined, react and cure into a polymerized compound or bond. UV or radiation-cured static control products use ultraviolet (UV) light, visible light or electron beam irradiation to initiate curing, which allows a permanent bond without heating or excessive heat generation. Reactive, moisture-cured, and hot-melt static control products are also commonly available.