The key difference between antistatic and ESD is that ESD offers a much higher level of protection compared to antistatic flooring.
Usually, a build-up of static electricity occurs when rubbing a non-conductive object against another non-conductive object. Antistatic and ESD are two types of flooring we use as solutions for the risk of electric shocks in the workplace. However, to determine the need for either ESD or antistatic flooring, we need to understand the environment and requirements.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Antistatic
3. What is ESD
4. Antistatic vs ESD in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Antistatic vs ESD
What is Antistatic?
Antistatic flooring is a very specific electrical resistance range that lies between 109 and 1011. Often, this term is misunderstood and misused, so customers use this type of flooring instead of ESD flooring when the actual need is ESD flooring. Antistatic means the floor itself will not generate static, but it does not mean that the floor tends to eliminate static build-up or dissipate static build-up in the body.
Typically, antistatic flooring will not increase the risk of building up static. Also, there are simpler and more cost-effective pathways for managing the issue of static discharge.
Whether it is antistatic or ESD, we can use some remedies to prolong the life of an antistatic or ESD flooring. This includes cleaning (regular cleaning of the floor as a maintenance technique), choice of shoes (some certain synthetic and man-made shoes create a lot of static electricity), and the use of sealants (providing the same protection as an ESD or antistatic flooring).
What is ESD?
ESD flooring is a technique having a much higher level of protection compared to antistatic flooring. This is because it is grounded. There are stainless steel fibers that are running through ecotile ESD tiles. This allows any electrical charge to conduct through the tile. Moreover, we can use a conductive grid that is laid first on the floor, and then the tiles are installed on top with earthing points that are positioned every 60 – 100 square meters. This is a system that ensures the regulated flow of any electrical charge to the ground.
Moreover, we can use stainless steel fibers as well. These fibers guarantee to provide a permanent solution to the ecotile ESD system. When the fibers are dispersed all the way through each tile, the conductive performance never diminishes. This is a unique characteristic of ecotile because it has only a top conductive layer that has a thickness of microns, so it can be easily worn away or obstructed by dirt.
What is the Difference Between Antistatic and ESD?
Flooring is very important when it comes to the conductance of electricity, and we should always ensure the prevention of electrical shocks. In antistatic, a substrate has a coating or chemical additive that can dissipate the static across its surface, which prevents the build-up of enough charge to get a shock. ESD, on the other hand, refers to product protection, which is an insulating material that protects us against electric shocks. The key difference between antistatic and ESD is that ESD offers a much higher level of protection compared to antistatic flooring.
The below infographic presents the differences between antistatic and ESD in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Antistatic vs ESD
Antistatic has a coating or chemical additive that can dissipate the static across its surface, which prevents the build-up of enough charge to get a shock. ESD, on the other hand, refers to product protection, which is an insulating material that protects us against electric shocks. Antistatic flooring and ESD flooring are very important flooring techniques when it comes to electrical conductance. The key difference between antistatic and ESD is that ESD offers a much higher level of protection compared to antistatic flooring.
Reference:
1. “ESD vs Anti-Static – ESD/Conductive and Anti-Static Flooring: Differences.” Ecotile, 5 May 2022.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Huiya access floor install systems” By Winston Alexander – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia