ESD Flooring
Anti-static industrial floors inhibit the generation of electrostatic discharge or ESD, which is the pulse of static electricity that happens when a charged person or surface comes into contact with another object.
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) flooring protects electronics from damage caused by static electricity, which accumulates as people walk. Conductive elements such as carbon, graphite or metal-coated particles, distributed throughout the flooring material, give ESD floors electrical conductivity, and create an electrical pathway from the walking surface to ground.
ESD flooring standards are based on an ESD flooring/footwear combination. Some, but not all, ESD floors also prevent charge generation – i.e., static from accumulating as people walk. Thus, it’s critical to determine the type of footwear people will use in the space. When choosing an ESD floor, always test for both electrical resistance (STM7.1) and charge generation (STM97.2-2014).
A floor can be conductive and still generate enough static to damage electronics.
- To be sure you choose the right ESD floor for your application, always evaluate:
- The relevant electrical code
- Industry standards for electrical resistance and charge generation (body voltage)
- Independent test results: resistance (STM7.1); charge generation (STM97.2)
- Footwear used in the space: ESD-protective footwear or regular street shoes
- Any specific requirements for the application
- The demands and constraints of the environment
- Buyer goals and objectives
- A static discharge as small as 20 volts, can damage or destroy microelectronics.
- Static-control floors create a traceable path from the walking surface to ground.
- To measure the resistance of a flooring material, we use test method ANSI STM7.1.
- ANSI/ESD S20.20 requires electrical resistance to measure below 1x 10E9 ohms.
- Motorola R56 and FAA 019f, require 1 x 10E6 ohms and below 1 x 10E9 ohms.
- If people wear street shoes in the space, the floor must also prevent charge generation.
- An ESD floor can be conductive and still generate static (fail to prevent body voltage).
- To evaluate the potential for charge generation, use ANSI STM97.2-2014.