Electrostatic discharge (ESD) caused problems for years for industries like pharmaceutical and agriculture. This applies to technology sector as well and has grown more to be a problem in technology due to its prevalence and rapid development. ESD occurs when two objects makes close contact and/or separates and electrons are transferred. The process called triboelectric charging is the process of transferring electrons between materials. When the object is neutral and have no static charge, the number of protons and electrons orbiting the nucleus are the same. However, when electrons transfers, electrostatic charge is created. There are multiple reasons for electrostatic transfers like relative humidity.
High humidity makes air more conductive, which means it can absorb and evenly distribute excess charges. Low humidity on the other hand won’t, making objects more able to hold static charges because it’s hard to transfer to other objects. This is why low humidity tends to cause more electrostatic shocks upon contact. The amount of charge will be dependent on multiple factors like area of contact, speed of separation, relative humidity, surface work function, chemistry of the materials, and much more. For example, when it is conductive, there little to no resistance to the flow of electrons and makes it easier to transmit charge from one to another. How fast the charge can be generated and where and how that charge goes are functions of the object’s characteristics (chemical, physical, and electrical)
Electrostatic discharge may give people a slight shock but it will cause severe damage to electronic equipment. Since electrostatic discharge can affect reliability and performance, it’s critical to use discharge tools to prevent shocks to equipment. There are 3 main tools for electrostatic discharge (ESD), which are ESD wrist strap, ESD mat, and ESD bag. You can also ensure devices you use are ESD safe, equipment are grounded according to American national standards institute standards, make antistatic spray available, only use static attracting components in safe area where static is minimized, remove unnecessary parts and so on.
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