Glossary: Low Charge-Generating Floor

Low charge-generating floors generate little or no static electricity and inhibit or prevent static from building on people, rolling chairs, carts, and other mobile equipment.

The conductive fibers in ESD carpet brush static away from shoe soles as people walk—much the way brushes in a copier brush static from paper as it slides through the machine—and conduct those charges to ground, making ESD carpet a low charge-generating material. Because its chemical makeup is sufficiently similar to that of most shoe soles, conductive (EC) rubber is a naturally low charge-generating material.

Low charge generation should not be confused with conductivity or grounding. Some grounded floors—conductive vinyl and some ESD epoxy, for instance—can generate enough static on regular street shoes to cause a damaging ESD event.

Note: Charge-generating ESD flooring materials should only be used in areas where people are required to wear ESD-protective footwear.

Illustration representing how carpet fibers brush static off the soles of shoes. The illustrations shows cutoff legs/feet walking across the floor. As they move, the carpet fibers sweep the soles. The text reads “The fibers in ESD carpet brush static off the soles of shoes, much the way conductive brushes sweep static charges from paper or film as it moves through a copying machine.”
Illustration representing how carpet fibers brush static off the soles of shoes. The illustrations shows cutoff legs/feet walking across the floor. As they move, the carpet fibers sweep the soles. The text reads “The fibers in ESD carpet brush static off the soles of shoes, much the way conductive brushes sweep static charges from paper or film as it moves through a copying machine.”
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StaticWorx Flooring Products

A completed installation of ShadowFX static-dissipative (ESD) carpet tile (Fields & Stone range) in a lobby
A completed installation of AmeriWorx conductive (ESD) vinyl tile flooring in an electronics manufacturing facility
Photo is a cropped shot of a laboratory facility with a completed ESD rubber floor installation.
An in progress installation of GroundWorx Ultra generation 3 ESD epoxy flooring in an electronics manufacturing and assembly facility.
Completed installation of GroundLock Extreme ESD interlocking tiles at a manufacturing facility

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Background graphic is a still from the StaticWorx GroundSafe ESD Flooring – Your Trusted Partner explainer animation. In the foreground at the bottom are two boxes. The top is a bright blue with the StaticWorx logo and "GroundSafe ESD Flooring" underneath in white. The second is a dark blue-gray and includes the text in white: “GroundWorx ESD Flooring – Your Trusted Partner”

StaticWorx high-performance static-control floors protect electronic components, explosives, and high-speed computers from damage caused by static electricity. ESD flooring is part of a system. Choices should always be based on objective, researched evidence. When you partner with us, we look at all possible items that may need to integrate with the floor, and, focusing on your goals and objectives, help you find the right floor for your application.