Static Dissipative Products
ESD-Safe Products Prevent Shocking PCB Failures
Static Free products are engineered to protect electronic equipment and workspaces from static buildup while cleaning and reconditioning. They prevent and eliminate electrostatic point sources on nonporous surfaces. All products are nonflammable.
As defined by the EOS/ESD Association, ESD is “the rapid, spontaneous transfer of electrostatic charge induced by a high electrostatic field… Usually, the charge flows through a spark between two bodies at different electrostatic potentials as they approach one another.” (source:esda.org )
When handling insulative materials like typical polypropylene swab handles, a worker can generate thousands of volts. SMOS logic devices can be damaged with 250-3000 volts, EPROM devices down to 100 volts, and microprocessor chips as low as 10 volts. Damage can shut down functions or create intermittent problems, and it can either be catastrophic (immediate) or latent (later as in “field failure”). (source: Phil Storrs PC Hardware Book)