Corriplast
Also known as Conductive Correx®, Conductive Corriplast® protects the item inside the packaging from static charges. Conductive Corriplast® is a robust ESD Safe material – made from a corrugated plastic board – that is perfect for use in cleanroom, medical and laboratory applications and / or where static protection is also required. The Polypropylene / Ethylene copolymers used in the material provide a level of durability that makes it particularly suitable when longevity and re-usability is also a concern. Corriplast® packaging comes in all types of forms including tote boxes, tote divisions and layer pads.
The main benefits of Corriplast® is that it can be fabricated to create custom sized totes, containers and packaging that offers strength and performance approaching that of moulded plastic options. Corriplast® packaging has a resistance to moisture and dust, an enhanced lifespan, greater load bearing capacity and it is easy to clean.
Corstat
A carbon based coating applied to corrugated cardboard which is then used for anti-static packaging solutions. Corstat packaging comes in all sorts of forms, including bins, boxes, totes, dividers, and other inserts. It is known as the ESD industry standard for conductive packaging.
The Corstat coated cardboard provides a “Faraday cage” that channels static around the outside of the packaging, protecting the static sensitive items within. Many blue-chip and multi-national electronics manufacturers typically use Corstat for its performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Corstat packaging, manufactured from coated cardboard, is also an environmentally friendly anti-static bag alternative.
Ohm
Ohm is a unit of resistance. Symbolised by the Greek capital letter omega (Ω). It is defined as the resistance, at 0o C, of a uniform column of mercury weighing 14.451 grams. One ohm is the value of resistance through which a potential difference of one volt will maintain a current of one ampere.
Process-essential insulator
A process-essential insulator is necessary to build or assemble the finished product. When grounding of these is not possible, choosing a method to neutralise electrostatic charge is necessary. This can be achieved with ionisation. Examples of a process-essential insulator include: product plastic housing or PC board substrate.
Catastrophic failure
When an electronic device is exposed to an ESD event it may have caused a metal melt, junction failure or oxide breakdown, permanently damaging its circuitry and resulting in catastrophic failure. Such failure can usually be detected when the device is tested before shipping. If the ESD event occurs after the test the damage will go undetected until the device fails in operation.
Zap
In layman’s terms, the term “zap” refers to an electrical discharge or electrostatic discharge (ESD). A “zap” can occur when touching a filling cabinet, getting out of a car or walking across a carpet and touching a door handle.
ESD protective symbol
The ESD Protective Symbol, consists of the reaching hand in the triangle. An arc around the triangle replaces the slash. This “umbrella” means protection. The symbol indicates ESD protective material. It is applied to ESD furniture, mats, chairs, wrist straps, garments, packaging, and other items that provide ESD protection. It also may be used on equipment such as hand tools, conveyor belts, or automated handlers that is specially designed or modified to provide ESD control
ESD susceptibility symbol
The ESD Susceptibility Symbol, consists of a triangle, a reaching hand, and a slash through the reaching hand. The triangle means “caution” and the slash through the reaching hand means “Don’t touch.” Because of its broad usage, the hand in the triangle has become associated with ESD and the symbol literally translates to “ESD sensitive device, don’t touch.”
The ESD Susceptibility Symbol is applied directly to integrated circuits, boards, and assemblies that are static sensitive. It indicates that handling or use of this item may result in damage from ESD if proper precautions are not taken. If desired, the sensitivity level of the item may be added to the label
Tribocharge
Tribocharge, otherwise known as triboelectric charge or tribocharging, is the generation of electrostatic charges by the rubbing or separating of surfaces. 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.
The amount of charge created by triboelectric generation is affected by the area of contact, the speed of separation, relative humidity, the chemistry of the materials, surface work function, and other factors.
An electrostatic charge may also be created on the material in other ways, such as by induction, ion bombardment, or contact with another charged object. However, triboelectric charging is the most common.
Surface resistivity
Not to be confused with surface resistance, surface resistivity is a measurement of a material’s inherent electrical resistance. For electric current flowing across a surface, the ratio of DC voltage drop per unit length to the surface current per unit width.
In effect, the surface resistivity is the resistance between two opposite sides of a square and is independent of the size of the square or its dimensional units.
To test a material’s electrical resistance, a surface resistivity meter can be used. Surface resistivity measurements are expressed in ohms/square.
