Back to Glossary

Antistatic Carpet

Glossary Term

The term “antistatic” refers to a condition where an antistatic material inhibits static generation when it comes into frictional contact with another material. In ESD flooring terms, an antistatic floor inhibits static, or prevents some degree of static generation, when people walk on its surface.

Applied specifically to carpet, the term “antistatic” has a slightly different meaning. Antistatic carpet is a generic term and includes all carpet products that generate less static electricity than would be necessary for a person to get a shock after walking on it. Antistatic carpet is not necessarily conductive and cannot be grounded.*

The reason for specifying antistatic carpet is to establish a space that will be free of static shocks, or zaps.

Antistatic carpet usually contains bi-component yarns and may be treated with a topical antistat. Most new antistatic carpet will prevent shocks as long as the relative humidity (RH) is above 25%.

Antistatic carpets do not offer permanent static protection and cannot ground static charges; for these reasons, they cannot protect sensitive electronic components. Antistatic carpet should NOT be confused with conductive or ESD carpet.

* Using conductive adhesive cannot ground this type of carpeting and cannot make it conductive (or static dissipative).

Learn more about StaticWorx ShadowFX static-dissipative carpet tile

Walking Body Voltage

The static charge, in volts, generated by a person walking across the floor. Static charges that accumulate on the body discharge to the first object the person touches, potentially damaging or disrupting sensitive electronics. Learn about how ESD flooring works

Voltage Suppression

Voltage suppression occurs when an ESD-protective material, such as a static-dissipative table covering, suppresses static charges rather than dissipating charges to ground. For instance, an ESD laminate with a buried conductive layer will suppress the electrostatic field from a charged object, but is incapable of discharging static even when the charged object touches its surface.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Gases emitted from certain solids or liquids, including a variety of chemicals, which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations are consistently higher indoors than outdoors: often up to ten times higher. Flooring should always be tested for VOC content by independent certification organizations like FloorScore and GreenGuard.

Triboelectric Series

A list of common materials, such as leather, nylon, wool, and paper, showing whether a material tends to give up or take on electrons when in frictional contact with other materials on the list. Those that give up electrons become positively charged, and materials that accept electrons become negatively charged. In the ESD industry, the

Triboelectric Charging

Whenever two objects with different electrical characteristics make contact and separate, the molecules in the two materials interact, forming an electrical bond. Separating the materials creates friction. This frictional force draws electrons away from one material and deposits an excess of electrons on the other, leaving a positive or negative electrical charge on both materials.

Total Cost of Ownership

The real cost of a product, encompassing the cost of the material, along with installation, maintenance, anticipated repairs and necessary monitoring. These hidden costs are often overlooked or ignored in the initial cost analysis, but they add up and over time can outpace the expense of owning a floor with a higher material cost. For

Ready to Eliminate Static Risk?

When your facility’s protection depends on getting it right the first time, choose
the company with an unmatched track record. We’re standing by to assist you.