How do ESD suits prevent static electricity?
ESD suits come in two types: conductive fiber and T/C polyester-cotton blends. The principle behind conductive fibers preventing static electricity generation is essentially the same as that of corona discharge eliminating static electricity. However, the discharge "tip" here is not a needle-shaped electrode but rather targets the conductive fiber. The finer the selected conductive fiber, the rougher its surface, and the more loose parts it has, the easier it is to generate corona-type tip discharge. When a person wearing an ESD suit containing conductive fiber fabric comes into contact with the ground, the conductive fibers, with their very low resistance, approach a charged object (a non-conductive fiber in the fabric). The electric field lines concentrate towards the conductive fiber, forming a strong electric field around it. This causes corona discharge, breaking down the local air and generating positive and negative ions. Ions with opposite polarity to the charge on the charged object neutralize the charge, while ions with the same polarity pass through the conductive fiber and utilize the electric field of the charged object to discharge themselves, thus eliminating static electricity.
When a person wearing an ESD suit containing conductive fiber is insulated from the ground, it means that the conductive fibers are also not grounded. When a charged object acquires static electricity, the charge converges towards the conductive yarn. The conductive fibers induce charges of opposite polarity to those on the charged object. These charges generate an electric field in the localized space near the conductive fibers, ionizing the air and producing corona discharge. The positive and negative ions generated by the corona discharge have opposite polarities to the charges on the charged object. The ions move towards the fabric and neutralize the charge on the fabric, thus eliminating static electricity.
It should be noted that corona discharge only occurs when the potential of the fabric exceeds the minimum discharge potential of the conductive fibers. Therefore, ESD workwear should be made from fabrics containing highly conductive fibers. After reading this, do you have a deeper understanding of ESD clothing?