ESD Flooring

ESD Flooring

To many people, static electricity is little more than the shock experienced when touching a metal door-knob after walking across a carpeted room or sliding across a car seat. However, static electricity has been a serious industrial problem for centuries. Every imaginable business and industrial process has issues with electrostatic charge and discharge at one time or another. Munitions and explosives, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, agriculture, printing and graphic arts, textiles, painting, and plastics are just some of the industries where control of static electricity has significant importance. The age of electronics brought with it new problems associated with static electricity and electrostatic discharge. As electronic devices become faster and smaller, their sensitivity to ESD (Electro Static Discharge) increases. Today, ESD impacts productivity and product reliability in virtually every aspect of the global electronics environment.

Sparks due to static electricity in operating theatres may cause ignition of spirits, or explosion. Also, the small electric shocks received from these sparks may cause minor mishaps. To prevent the build-up of static electricity, the whole operating area is maintained at earth potential using flooring materials which provide a limited leakage path for electricity. Sometimes the whole floor is covered with an antistatic rubber or plastic, but satisfactory results can be obtained by the installation of seamless antistatic flooring system, though these may depend on a high relative humidity in the room. Since operating theatres are normally maintained at a relative humidity of 50-65%, this condition is normally met.

Static electricity is defined as an electrical charge caused by an imbalance of electrons on the surface of a material. This imbalance of electrons produces an electric field that can be measured and that can influence other objects at a distance. Electrostatic discharge is defined as the transfer of charge between bodies at different electrical potentials. Electrostatic discharge can change the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device, degrading or destroying it.

Electrostatic discharge also may upset the normal operation of an electronic system, causing equipment malfunction or failure.

Dissipative materials, like the conductive material, the dissipative material will allow the transfer of charge to ground or other conductive objects. The transfer of charge from a static dissipative material will generally take longer than from a conductive material of equivalent size. Insulative materials are that, prevents or limits the flow of electrons across its surface or through its volume is called an insulator. Conductive materials are that: allows electrons to flow easily across its surface or through its volume.

      To provide the safe working place free from problems generating by Electro Static discharge, these are the types of anti-static floorings commonly in practice.

ARDEXENDURA provides the Conductive epoxy flooring system, R 625 CE, which has the following features:

• Solvent free – epoxy based electrostatically Conductive of 10⁴ – 10⁶ Ω
• Excellent Chemical, Mechanical and Abrasion Resistance
• Seamless- easily cleaned to maintain high standards of hygiene
• Hard wearing and durable with low maintenance costs

ARDEX ENDURA ACADEMY

Our industry, like any other, requires on-going training to keep up with the changes in legislation/standards and materials. Our purpose-built training facility enables us to offer a range of demonstrations and seminars that can be tailored to your specific needs, ensuring total confidence in the specification and subsequent on-site application. The academy allows you to learn about new technologies including ‘Industry best practices for Concrete Repair and Flooring’ along with Technical guidance and product information.

For the latest and most up to date information and advice, visit the ARDEXENDURAacademy centres across India (Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, etc.,). For Flooring Treatment Contractors and applicators committed to providing a high level of workmanship, ARDEX ENDURA helps them to increase both their professionalism and productivity.

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