Electrostatic discharge (ESD) floors are floors installed with ESD flooring systems to protect electronics from damage caused by static electricity which accumulates from traffic.
What is ESD?
Electrostatic Discharge
Controlling electrostatic discharge begins with understanding how an electrostatic charge occurs in the first place.
- "Tribo electric charging" comes from the Greek word tribeia which means "to rub".
- An electrical charging process begins with a charge generated by the contact and separation of two surfaces.
- These surfaces can be solids, liquids or particles, such as gasses, dust or powder.
What are the Risks?
If ESD protection and control is not taken into consideration:
- Fire and explosions can happen in places where there are explosive atmospheres and substances (gas, vapor, spray, liquids, dust, explosives, fireworks)
- Devices could be damaged or completely destroyed in places where there are electrostatic sensitive devices
It is this potentially unseen, unfelt or unheard ‘micro lightning’ spark that can occur without warning, which must be prevented or controlled.
How does an ESD Floor Work?
A person walks over a normal floor. The negative charge is stored by the person.
The consequence: the person is charged with a surplus of electrons.
As the person walks or moves, a separation of positive and negative charge occurs.
Now, when the person comes in contact with an object that has fewer electrons, the electrons jump across to balance out the difference.
Static electroshock occurs.
This spark may damage microelectronic parts or even trigger an explosion.
The electrostatic charge which occurs during materials' contact and separation must be discharged via an earthing point in the floor - this is where ESD flooring comes into play.
ESD flooring works with earthing or grounding points to disperse static electricity effectively.
It reduces the chance of someone creating a static discharge through physical contact.
Does My Project Need an ESD Floor?
In principle, ESD floors are needed in places with explosive atmospheres and substances (gas, vapor, spray, liquids, dust, explosives, fireworks).
In industries where electronic components or volatile chemicals are involved, static electricity can result in significant damage, injury and financial loss. All active electronic components and equipment, such as microchips, integrated circuits and machinery, are sensitive to ESD events. Even when areas and people are equipped to handle such static-sensitive devices, inadvertent contact and damage can still occur.
Sikafloor® ESD (Electro Static Discharge) and Sikafloor® ECF (Electrically Conductive Flooring) Systems can safeguard your entire process. These systems can be used to design and produce a floor that is tailor-made to meet your specific needs.
How to Choose an ESD Floor
Guide to selection of ESD protection for floors
There are many floor covering materials and systems which can provide different degrees of static-dissipative or antistatic (low charge-generating) properties.
The specification of flooring materials should be based on the architectural design, electrical code, standards and regulations for the specific project types and floor types.
