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CONDUCTIVE VERSUS INSULATIVE

ESD Material Conductivity

The higher the electrical conductivity of grounded ESD Control materials the faster the electrons are moved to ground. Not too fast – Not too slow! If the electrons are moved to ground too quickly the abrupt discharge can damage ESD sensitive components as badly as not taking the static charge to ground in the first place! An ESD floor or table top mat is designed with a specific range of conductivity that slows and controls the generated static. The conductivity is measured in Ohms using a specific test instrument and specialty electrodes made of a certain size, weight and density. Let’s look at some of the ranges that are used for ESD control:

CONDUCTIVE

<1.0E01 = <10 ohms)

Copper, Steel, Water Etc.

 

In the case of static control this range is too conductive. It can present potential safety hazards AND eliminating static too quickly can be nearly as bad as not eliminating it in the first place!

1.0E02 = 100 ohms)

1.0E03 = 1,000 ohms = 1K ohm

1.0E04 = 10,000 ohms = 10 Kilohms

Static Conductive Flooring

This range of flooring is static conductive. For Electronic manufacturing it should be above 1.0E04 and less than 1.0E06. See ANSI ESD S20.20-2014 for more details.

1.0E05 = 100,000 ohms = 100K Ohms)

<1.0E06 = <1,000,000 ohms = <1 Megaohms

>1.0E06 = >1,000,000 ohms = > 1 Megaohms

 

Static Dissipative table top mats, work surfaces and flooring

 

This range of static conductivity is used for table top mats, ESD work surfaces, many esd smocks and static dissipative flooring. It is a must for work surfaces and smocks (and many other items). It is an option as a choice for ESD flooring although some static dissipative flooring does not work well in achieving mandatory combination resistance results of carts chair and technicians

1.0E07 = 10,000,000 ohms = 10 Megaohms

1.0E08 = 100,000,000 ohms = 100 Megaohms

Less THAN 1.0E09 = <1,000,000,000 ohms = 1 Gigaohm

More Than1.0E09 = >1,000,000,000 ohms = >1 Gigaohm)

99% of items used in an ESD area will not be compliant in this range

Any ESD floor or table top mat above 1.0E09 will fail ANSI ESD S20.20-2014, page 4, table 2. The combined resistance of a technician, their heel grounders and the ESD floor will FAIL if above 1.0E09 as will combination resistance values of chairs and carts in concert with the flooring. Many floor mats will do an excellent job of reducing nuisance static above 1.0E09 but reducing nuisance static is not a part of ANSI ESD S20.20

 

<1.0E10 = <10,000,000,000 ohms = <10 Gigaohms

 

>1.0E10 = 10,000,000,000 ohms = >10 Gigaohms

Standard Epoxy Flooring, VCT and many carpets

This range is fairly insulative. Standard VCT and epoxy flooring normally fall in this range. Nuisance static can be problematic and charge generation while walking will exceed 100 volts (the limits set in ANSI). As insulative properties increase so will static voltage and static decay. In the case of standard carpet you my "feel" the discharge when you touch a grounded object. The threshold for this is greater than 4,000 volts! Ouch!

1.0E11 = 100,000,000,000 ohms = 100 Gigaohms

Plexiglas

1.0E12 = (1,000,000,000,000 ohms) - 1 Teraohm

Switchboard Matting

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This page last, tested, updated or checked for accuracy on

11/11/2019

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