General points Static Electricity Static electricity is a phenomenum of electrical accumulation on the surface of materials. This phenomenum is especially sensitive on dielectric materials such as plastics, glass, paper and numerous other insulating bodies. Manifestations of static electricity are often baffling, incoherent and difficult to reproduce as desired. They vary according to the nature of the material, the temperature, the humidity, the friction, etc. One of the peculiarities of the phenomenum is the variation in polarity + or - on the same material during manufacture or processing. Undesirable effects The most well known effect of static electricity is the phenomenum commonly known as "sticking" or "magnetisation". Items with the opposing polarity have a tendency to collect together and are difficult to separate. Their passage through a machine often poses serious problems, hindering production. The same phenomenum causes attraction between granules, soft material, dust and various waste, causing poor appearance and high rejection rates during industrial operations. The opposite effect, called "repulsion", caused by charges with the same sign, can be just as inconvenient, especially in the textile industry by causing swelling of artificial fibre bundles. Shocks experienced by the personnel can be the cause of serious accidents. Moreover, unexpected discharges, even in a relatively safe environment, can cause fires or explosions. Exemple d'élecmsation I Sur des machines de fabrication du papier, fes champs dépassent 100 KV/M (100 000 volts) The industries particularly affected by these effects are mainly the graphic art, paper, plastics, chemical, textile, optical, packing and packaging industries.

Anti-static electricity process In theory, as negative charges are caused by an excess of electrons (negative ions) and positive charges by a lack of them (positive ions), neutralisation of the charges should theoretically be obtained by disposing of an external source of the ions and electrons necessary to stabilise the atoms in the material. This external source of ionic elements can be achieved by causing the ionisation of the ambient air resulting in the freeing of ions and electrons that can be used to neutralise the charges. Of the various air ionisation methods, the one operating by the...