What is Anti-Static? Plus the Shocking Facts About Static in Liquids

It is sometimes suggested that an antistatic item is one that will not allow any "static (i.e. any electrostatic charge) to occur. The inference here being that it must, therefore, be safe to use in a potentially flammable atmosphere. As we will see, this is only part of the picture. The latest Cenelec report on static electricity (RO44-001) is discouraging the use of the word antistatic as it can be misleading. The preferred term is "static dissipative" ('electrostatic dissipative' or simply 'dissipative'). A dissipative object or material is defined as being "incapable of retaining a significant amount of electrostatic charge when in contact with earth . . . " In other words, the material allows the static electricity to dissipate through it down to earth. This more up-to-date term makes the principle much easier to understand and the definition clearly shows that it is a combination of the type of material AND its connection to earth which prevents the build up and possibly dangerous discharge of static electricity.