How does anti-static paper work?

[DaiShan]

I read somewhere that it transports static from inside the bag to the outside, and thus it wasn't a good idea to put sensitive electronics on the outside of the bag, so how does it work exactly?

 

[Scarpozzi]

The aim of antistatic bags is to form charge seperations instead of getting rid of the charges. Black plastic, filled with metallic carbon, is volume conductive. The volume conductive plastics, instead of protecting, can actually produce ESD and in turn damage any static sensitive materials... I hope that clears up any misconceptions.

 

[Scarpozzi]

One more thing....static isn't damaging to electronics at all. Electro-Static Discharge is what does the damage...so if you can keep the charges seperated you've saved the day. Also, static can damage a circuit and you may not see the effects of it for years. It's a very unpredictable thing.

 

[454Casull]

One question - why can't aluminum foil be substituted for an anti-static bag? (Aside from its fragility)

 

[CTho9305]

i was under the impression that ANY conducting bag would work fine. aluminum foil has the problem of getting holes punched in it by pins - those pins then are not connected to every other part of the device, and could get charged, resulting in problems when the discharge happens.

 

[cholley]

there are a couple of types of anti static bags, the silver ones are designed to disipate static and the pink ones are designed to block static the silver ones are best, they conduct over the entire surface

 

[dnoyeb]

<< The aim of antistatic bags is to form charge seperations instead of getting rid of the charges. Black plastic, filled with metallic carbon, is volume conductive. The volume conductive plastics, instead of protecting, can actually produce ESD and in turn damage any static sensitive materials... I hope that clears up any misconceptions. >>



What? Charge is "charge seperation". Forming charge seperation is the equivalent of forming clouds in the sky ready to produce lightning. This is exactly the opposite of what you want to do. Anti-static bags undoubtedly work by being conductive and preventing charge seperation.


Further, its Gauss Law that says automatically charge will go to the outside of the bag. By moving to the outside of the bag, like charges are able to increase the distance between themselves. The more to the inside of the bag they go, the closer they must be to each other and we know like charges dont like that. Thats why lightning strikes go on the outside of trees and rarely through the center unless its loaded with sap. And also why static on balloons is always on the outside.