How Conductive Adhesives Work
Without a conductive ground plane, ESD tiles would have no place to discharge unwanted static charges. Every tile would be like an isolated island – in other words, electrostatic charges would be stuck on individual tiles with no place to go. That would mean anyone walking on the floor would also remain charged.
StaticWorx conductive adhesives don’t just hold the floor in place. The adhesive acts as a conductive ground plane, providing electrical continuity between every ESD tile in a room.
How?
Electricity always flows to the path of least resistance. The electrically conductive fibers suspended in conductive emulsion draw static charges to the adhesive. The adhesive pulls charges downward, away from the surface of the floor, through the thickness of the tiles, to the underlying conductive adhesive/ground plane – the adhesive, in this case, being the fastest path to ground. Charges then move across the adhesive ground plane and transport static safely back to earth, enabling your ESD floor to do its job.
With StaticWorx adhesives, grounding your ESD floor is straightforward and easy. Our adhesives eliminate the need for expensive copper equipotential grounding grids of the past.
StaticWorx conductive adhesives link to ground with copper connector strips. The strips can be attached to electrical conduit, building steel or a dedicated grounding bar. Copper ground connectors are 24″ long and are supplied with every StaticWorx flooring shipment. Only one ground connection is necessary for every 1000 square feet of contiguous ESD flooring.
Why Choose StaticWorx Conductive Adhesives?
Integral to ESD Flooring Performance
Our adhesives do more than hold tiles in place—they form a conductive ground plane that ensures static charges flow safely from the floor surface to earth, enabling your ESD flooring to work as intended.
Reliable Path to Ground
All StaticWorx adhesives measure in the conductive range (<1.0 × 10⁶ ohms), providing a fail-safe electrical path and eliminating the need for costly copper grids or complex grounding systems.
Simplified Installation
From pressure-sensitive to wet-set epoxy formulations, our adhesives are designed for ease of use, with options for immediate traffic, minimal mixing, and installation over both porous and non-porous surfaces.
Durable, Permanent, and Versatile
Whether your flooring is carpet, vinyl, or rubber, our adhesives provide long-term stability and structural integrity while maintaining conductivity—even in high-traffic or 24/7 operational spaces.
Environmentally Responsible
Low VOCs, solvent-free formulations, and FloorScore certifications make StaticWorx adhesives safe for indoor air quality and environmentally responsible installations.
Expert Guidance and Support
Backed by decades of ESD flooring experience, StaticWorx provides clear instructions, copper grounding components, and technical guidance for every adhesive type to ensure reliable, code-compliant results.
Adhesives and Conductivity
The conductive adhesive must always be more conductive than the surface of the floor.
Why?
Because conductive adhesives form a ground plane under the ESD floor. EC (electrically conductive) adhesives work by drawing charges downward, through the thickness of the tile, across the conductive ground plane, to copper tiles installed at the perimeters of the room, to ground.
As we know, electricity always seeks its fastest path to ground. If the flooring material is more conductive than the underlying adhesive, electrostatic (ESD) charges will remain on the floor surface, potentially creating a safety hazard for people walking on the floor.
That’s why all StaticWorx adhesives measure in the conductive range – under 1.0 x 10E6 ohms.
StaticWorx Adhesives provide a fail Safe Path to Ground.
Comparison of StaticWorx Conductive Adhesives
| CHARACTERISTIC | GroundTack | GroundGrip | StatBond Pressure-Sensitive | StatBond Two-Part Epoxy | RI 2.0 Dry Adhesive |
| Releasable | Permanent | Permanent | Wet Set | Permanent | |
| Material | |||||
| Wet Set | No | Yes | No | Yes | N/A |
| Color When Dry | Clear | Dark Gray | Clear | Black | No |
| Releasable | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Solvent-Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RH Tolerance | 85% | 85% | 85% | 85% | 85% |
| Floor Score Certified | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Low VOCs |
| Installation | |||||
| Can Be Applied to Non-Porous Surfaces | Yes | Contact StaticWorx for instructions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ready to Apply | Yes | Yes | Yes | No, Requires Mixing | Yes |
| Trowel Size | 1/16″ x 1/32″ U-Notch | 1/16″ square notch | 1/16″ square notch | 1/32″ x 1/16″ U-Notch | N/A |
| Spread Rate | 180-225 ft2 per gallon | 110-130 ft2 per gallon | 180-225 ft2 per gallon | 185-245 ft2 per gallon | N/A |
| Open/Work Time | 4 Hours | < 1 Hour | 4 Hours | 30 Minutes | Indefinite |
| Pressure Sensitive | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Full Cure Time | 120 Hours (5 days) | 72 Hours (3 days) | 40 Minutes | 36 Hours | Instant |
| Can Receive Traffic Immediately | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Compatible Flooring Materials | |||||
| Carpet Tile | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Vinyl | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rubber | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
What Clients are Saying
The StaticWorx products were instrumental in our success on the project. The installation process using GroundTack adhesive helped us bid and install static-dissipative tile at a production rate well above our historical levels. Our installers were genuinely impressed with how square, true, and consistent the product was. We are happy, and more importantly, our customers are happy. StaticWorx AmeriWorx is a superior product and we look forward to working with StaticWorx in the future.
…the floor is awesome! It’s very durable and it’s very convenient that we can lift tiles up to remove debris from underneath, and even replace tiles if they are damaged. So from a functional perspective, this is the best floor for our manufacturing operation.
You would never know it was ESD, WHICH IS AMAZING! Your product rocks and I’m so glad we were able to find an attractive solution that didn’t leave us with some run-of-the-mill ugly disaster in the middle of our workspaces!
Your product is impervious to most/all conditions. It’s impressive. Happy to be working with StaticWorx.
Explore Our Conductive Adhesives
Conductive AdhesivesFrequently Asked Questions
Are regular and conductive adhesives the same?
No. Conductive adhesives provide a path for static charges to flow to ground. Regular adhesives cannot be grounded and cannot dissipate static charges. For these reasons, regular adhesives cannot be used with ESD flooring. And conductive adhesive will not make regular (non-ESD) flooring conductive.
How do conductive adhesives work?
They form a conductive ground plane beneath ESD flooring, creating electrical continuity across the installation. The adhesive draws static from the ESD tiles or sheets, transports charges across the ground plane, and discharges to an earth ground.
Do I still need copper grounding grids?
With StaticWorx adhesives, expensive copper grids are unnecessary. Grounding is achieved through copper strips connected to building steel, conduit, or grounding bars.
Can I use any adhesive with my ESD flooring?
No. Regular adhesive cannot be grounded and cannot discharge static electricity. For these reasons, it cannot be used with ESD flooring. Conductive adhesive cannot make a regular, non-ESD flooring system conductive.
To draw charges through the flooring material to ground, the adhesive should always be more conductive than the flooring material.
Which adhesive is best for modular carpet tiles?
GroundTack® Clear Releasable Adhesive is ideal, as it allows tiles to be easily lifted, replaced, or repaired while maintaining conductivity.
Can I install conductive adhesives in occupied or 24/7 facilities?
Yes. RI 2.0 Dry Adhesive is specifically designed for labs, cleanrooms, and operational spaces, allowing installation with minimal downtime and immediate floor use.
Do I need special skills to install these adhesives?
Two-part epoxy adhesives are difficult to install due to mixing and timing requirements. Pressure-sensitive adhesives are easier and faster to apply. But when installing ESD flooring systems, it’s always best to work with someone skilled in floor installation.
How do I ensure my floor is properly grounded?
StaticWorx adhesives link to copper ground strips, which must be connected to building steel, conduit, or a dedicated grounding bar. Only one connection per 1,000 sq ft of contiguous flooring is needed.
Are StaticWorx adhesives environmentally safe?
All StaticWorx adhesives are VOC-compliant and FloorScore certified.
Static-Control Education at Your Fingertips
Explore the StaticWorx Knowledge Center for technical articles, videos, and guides to help you specify, install, and maintain ESD flooring with confidence.
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