Widespread Applications of ESD plastic material
Plastics are now widely used, and they have a high surface resistivity (10¹⁷ Ω at 25℃, RH 60%). Therefore, once static electricity is generated by friction, it is not easily removed through conduction and remains on the plastic surface. The presence of static electricity not only affects the appearance of plastic products, but more importantly, it affects their manufacturing and use. Therefore, antistatic agents have been developed. Their function is to reduce the surface resistivity and charge density of polymers on the surface of plastic products, thereby eliminating the hazards of static electricity.
Among the methods of adding antistatic agents, adding surfactants (low-molecular-weight antistatic agents) is inexpensive and easy to use, but the surface properties of the material are easily altered, and the antistatic agent is easily detached after friction and washing, and it cannot be colored. Adding permanent antistatic agents (hydrophilic polymers) has good conductivity and stability, but they are expensive, require large amounts, and are affected by the physical properties of the plastic.
Therefore, antistatic agents have gained widespread acceptance in production, as they can eliminate static electricity on various low-abrasion and glossy surfaces; eliminate dust accumulation on object surfaces; kill bacteria; spray electronic component packaging boxes; assembly lines, packaging, and transportation; eliminate computer malfunctions caused by static electricity; and reduce paper jams in copiers and printers; and reduce PCB solder joint failure rates.