ESD flooring is required to protect most types of electronics parts, which are ultra-sensitive to static electricity.
FAQ: How are static-dissipative and conductive properties added to flooring?
Unlike standard flooring, static control floors promote the flow of electricity—in other words, static charges flow across and through the floor to electrical ground. When people walk across a regular floor, the contact and separation between the floor and the soles of their shoes generates static. Regular flooring, which is electrically insulative – the opposite of conductive—cannot be grounded. As there is nowhere for the static to go, it builds on people and discharges to the first person or object they touch.
Static-control flooring transports—or dissipates—static electricity and other electrical currents to ground. Because of their conductivity, static-control floors can be grounded.
Most types of flooring can be made into a conductive or static-dissipative floor. The most common way to produce a static-control floor is to add carbon or graphite to the standard flooring formula.
Here are a few examples of how this is done:
Epoxy floors are made with liquid catalyst-driven resins. Carbon particulate or carbon fibers are added to the epoxy while it is in liquid form. Depending on the percentage of the additive, manufacturers can produce a highly conductive epoxy coating for explosives handling or, by adding slightly less of the additive, create a static-dissipative version for electronics handling applications.
Standard carpet tile, often made with insulative wool or nylon fibers, is a natural static generator. By wrapping carbon-loaded fibers around the tile’s nylon filaments, manufacturers turn a static-generating carpet into a static-control floor.
Depending on the type of carbon fiber and the design of the carpet tile, it is possible to control the ohms resistance of the tile and create either static-dissipative or conductive flooring.
Since carpet tiles are rarely used in explosives-handling operations (which require smooth, non-porous washable conductive flooring), most carpet tile applications are for light electronics assembly, labs and end user environments, better suited to the static-dissipative version.
Standard carpet tile, often made with insulative wool or nylon fibers, is a natural static generator. By wrapping carbon-loaded fibers around the tile’s nylon filaments, manufacturers turn a static-generating carpet into a static-control floor.
Depending on the type of carbon fiber and the design of the carpet tile, it is possible to control the ohms resistance of the tile and create either static-dissipative or conductive flooring.
Since carpet tiles are rarely used in explosives-handling operations (which require smooth, non-porous washable conductive flooring), most carpet tile applications are for light electronics assembly, labs and end user environments, better suited to the static-dissipative version.
What is electrostatic discharge (ESD) Flooring?
This video provides an overview of static control flooring options:
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More FAQs
ESD-safe floors protect electronics by drawing static away from people or objects, transporting charges to ground.
The acronym ESD stands for electrostatic discharge. ESD flooring protects electronic equipment from electrostatic discharge.
ESD floors transport electricity and must be grounded. ESD floors must also generate minimal static electricity.
ESD floors dissipate static safely, protecting electronics from accidental damage due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) events.
To ensure they meet pertinent standards, ESD floors are tested for electrical resistance and static generation.
ESD stands for electrostatic discharge. Minute ESD events, too small for humans to perceive, can damage electronic components.
Floor materials with conductive elements transport static charges to ground, preventing random electrostatic discharge (ESD) events.
Laboratory floors are typically covered with vinyl or rubber tile or sheets, sometimes epoxy or urethane.
Most healthcare facilities and labs use low-VOC vinyl or rubber flooring materials.
In mission-critical operations that use static-sensitive electronic systems, ESD chairs are highly recommended to inhibit static generation.
Wrist straps are highly effective devices. They ground the wearer as do grounded ESD floors. For it to work it must be connected to ground.
No, regular flooring is not conductive and cannot be grounded. Because regular floors are not conductive they cannot transport static charges.
The acronym SDT stands for static-dissipative tile. Static-dissipative tile is considered ESD tile.
Dissipative or static dissipative is a term used to describe the electrical resistance of a flooring material.
Bare concrete is rarely used as an ESD floor. Because relative humidity varies, its conductivity is unreliable.
Interlocking tiles are not waterproof per se. The tiles lock together tightly, preventing moisture from the subfloor from seeping through the seams.
An interlocking tile is a tile with teeth that can be pressed into place with a mallet, locking the tiles together.
Preventing ESD requires a well-thought-out ESD prevention program. What is required will be dependent on the application and environment.
Raised floors can be grounded to the metal access floor panel or grounded like any other ESD floor with copper tape.
All ESD tile must be grounded. Any floor that is not grounded cannot conduct electricity and cannot dissipate static charges.
Conductive rubber is a high-end static control product often used in labs, cleanrooms and electronics manufacturing facilities.
Electrically conductive (EC) rubber is rubber with conductive chips added to the material during the manufacturing process.
No, wood is not antistatic. You can learn which materials are antistatic and which are not by looking at our Triboelectric chart.
The 2" wide reducer need not have any conductivity since the first full step on to the ESD floor will remove any charges generated from walking on standard flooring surfaces.
The static dissipative aspects of an ESD floor are not affected by the type of transitions, reducers and wall base used on a project.
One-to-one installation of floor finishes over raised access panels offers advantages but also some disadvantages.
The traffic classification for all StaticWorx ShadowFX ESD carpet is “Heavy,” meaning rated for heavy-duty use.
Most static in a workplace is generated by people walking on the floor. The floor is the first line of defense in ESD prevention.
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage electronics you use or that people charged with your safety use to protect you.
All ESD carpet tile is antistatic. However, standard carpet has no conductive properties, cannot be grounded.
Because different applications require different specifications for static control, ESD guidelines, or standards, vary across industries.
In manufacturing facilities electrostatic discharge can cause problems ranging from dirt and particulate contamination to machine failure.
The shock you feel when you walk across a carpeted floor or remove clingy laundry from the dryer are examples of ESD.
A type of paint, like GroundWorx Basics, made with conductive additives is sometimes called antistatic floor paint.
No. Vinyl flooring is not inherently antistatic. An antistatic floor generates little or no static electricity. Find out more.
ESD floors do not meet ANSI/ESD S20.20. Because S20.20 is not a specification. Learn more about this process document and the standard test methods it cites.
Conductive vinyl tile is not an appropriate ESD floor for an emergency dispatch center, and will not prevent static from damaging equipment. Find out why.
Why does an ESD floor need only 1 ground connection per 1000 ft? The conductivity in ESD tile and conductive adhesive form an electrical bond. Find out more.
Learning Center Articles
- 7 Common Mistakes Selecting an ESD floor
- A Guide to ESD Flooring Selection
- Avoid Costly Failures: What You Need to Know When Specifying ESD Flooring
- Choosing ESD Flooring for:
- ESD Footwear: What Is It and When Is It Necessary?
- ESD Footwear for Electronics Manufacturing and Handling Applications
- Facility Managers' Guide to Selecting ESD Flooring
- The Need for Due Diligence in Specifying Static-Free Flooring
- Standard of Care for Specifying Floors in Mission-Critical Spaces
- Understanding the Hidden Costs of ESD Flooring
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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.
