In order to distinguish the differences between these five terms, you need to know what each one means.
ESD (as defined in the previous post) is an acronym for electrostatic discharge. Many times it is used incorrectly as a term for something that is “electrostatic discharge safe.”
The terms anti-static, conductive, and dissipative are all terms that subdivide ESD into more detail. Something insulative is not considered ESD safe.
Materials are divided into these terms based on their individual surface resistance. Surface resistance is a measurement of how easily an electric charge can travel across a medium. Conductive materials are materials that have a surface resistance of less than 1 x 10 5 ohms/square. Dissipative items have a surface resistance of more than 1 x 10 5 ohms/square but less than 1 x10 11 ohms/square.
Anti-static materials are generally referred to as any material which inhibits triboelectric charging. This kind of charging is the buildup of an electric charge by the rubbing or contact with another material. An insulative material is one that has a surface resistance of greater than 1 x 10 12 ohms/square.
For more ESD products and ESD information, visit the All-Spec website or the Electrostatic Discharge Association website.
Interested in the learning more about the basics of ESD?
As an Access Floor dealer when it is correct to specify:
1. Anti-static HPL
2. Static dissipative HPL
Thanks for your input.
Bob
In my opinion there is a need of little refinement.
Dissipative items have a surface resistance of more than 1 x 10 5 ohms/square but less than 1 x10 11 ohms/square.
ESD items have a surface resistance of more than 7.5 x 10 5 ohms/square but less than 3.5 x10 7 ohms/square.
In other words ESD is a part of Dissipative Range.
Antistatic items have a surface resistance of more than 1 x 10 5 ohms/square but less than 1 x10 9 ohms/square.
In other words Antistatic is also part of Dissipative Range.
[…] These meters can be used to check how much resistance a component in a circuit provides. Another type of this meter is the surface resistivity meter. This can measure the resistance of a surface, which is important for testing ESD-safe mats or work surfaces. Using a surface resistivity meter can help you tell if a surface is insulative, dissipative, anti-static, or conductive. […]
So what is the exact feature that makes a material ESD safe? A glove with 1×10ˆ11 ohm/square is not necessarily ESD safe, correct?
In theory, a glove with a surface resistivity of 10E11 would typically be considered an anti-static material which is a subset of ESD-safe materials. In practice every process has different requirements and levels of static discharge that would cause damage. Each process can have a different requirement for what will be considered ESD-safe.