New developments in antistatic and conductive additives

摘要

Antistatic, electrostatic dissipative (ESD) and conductive additives are in demand for plastics compounds used in many applications, from packaging to automotive. Additive suppliers have introduced new migrating antistats, permanent antistats, and nanomaterials for this market. Jennifer Markarian reports for Plastics Additives & Compounding. Migrating antistats diffuse to the polymer surface over time, creating a thin layer that attracts water molecules. The water molecules provide a conductive pathway that prevents build-up of static electricity. Antistatic additives reduce a polymer's surface resistivity to the range of 10~(-10) to 10~(12) ohms/ sq., providing a slow static decay rate that prevents charge accumulation (see Figure 1). Antistats are used widely in packaging such as film, thermoformed containers, and PET botdes, in which they help surfaces separate during production and reduce dust attraction for short-term cosmetic improvement.