Measurements of the rate of dissipation of static charge belong to the essential measurement techniques in the field of electrostatics. Static electricity is a surplus or deficit of electrons which is measured in Coulombs. As it is not possible to measure the charge in a material in Coulombs, the electric field strength or surface voltage related to the static charge is measured. This is the accepted method of measuring static in industry.
BS EN 61340-2-1 describes test methods for measuring the rate of dissipation of static charge of insulating and static dissipative materials and products. BS EN 61340-2-1 includes a generic description of test methods and detailed test procedures for specific applications.
The two test methods for measuring charge decay time, one using corona charging and one using a charged metal plate are different and may not give equivalent results. Nevertheless, each method has a range of applications for which it is best suited. The corona charging method is suitable for evaluating the ability of materials, e.g., textiles, packaging, etc., to dissipate charge from their own surfaces. The charged metal plate method is suitable for evaluating the ability of materials and objects such as gloves, finger cots, hand tools, etc. to dissipate charge from conductive objects placed on or in contact with them. The charged plate method may not be suitable for evaluating the ability of materials to dissipate charge from their own surfaces.
BS EN 61340-2-1 on electrostatic measurement materials dissipating standard is useful for:
Static electricity is the build-up of an electrical charge on the surface of an object. It's called "static" because the charges remain in one area rather than moving or "flowing" to another area. For homogeneous conductive materials, the rate of dissipation of static charge can be evaluated indirectly by measuring resistance or resistivity parameters. Care should be exercised when determining the homogeneity of materials, as some materials that appear homogenous do exhibit nonhomogeneous electrical characteristics. If the homogeneity of materials is not known and cannot be otherwise verified, resistance measurements may not be reliable or may not give enough information. Resistance measurements may also not be reliable when evaluating materials in the dissipative or insulative range and especially for high ohmic materials including conductive fibres (e.g., textiles with a metallic grid). In such cases, the rate of dissipation of static charge should be measured directly. The sections on method of measurement of charge decay, practical application of test methods and procedures including charge decay test for textile materials and charge decay test via gloves, finger cots, or tools has been discussed in thorough details in BS EN 61340-2-1. Using BS EN 61340-2-1 guidelines, you can measure the rate of dissipation of static charge of insulating and static dissipative materials and products. BS EN 61340-2-1 guidelines enable you to provide your operators with a safe and hazard free working atmosphere, and your customers with suitable, high-quality, and reliable products.
BS EN 61340-2-1:2015 supersedes BS EN 61340-2-1:2002. BS EN 61340-2-1:2015 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 61340-2-1:2002. These include:
EN 60947-5-1:2004/A1:2009
EN 61340-2-1:2015
IEC 61340-2-1:2015