Static Electrification of Filaments

Abstract

In order to study the generation of charge on fibrous materials, an apparatus was constructed in which a fiber is held fixed while a second is rubbed across it under controlled mechanical and ambient conditions. It was found that the reproducibility was usually within ± 5% when the same two fibers were rubbed repeatedly; that the charge generated was dependent on the manner in which the materials were rubbed; and that the magnitude of the charge generated was directly proportional to the length of material rubbed and to the normal force between the fibers (although in some cases a limiting maximum value was reached), but was independent of the apparent area of contact between the fibers and of the tension on the fibers. The effects produced by changes in velocity are more complicated to describe. Charge transfer was found to be independent of velocity when insulators (except Teflon) were rubbed together. For metals on insulators other than Teflon, the charge generated was found to increase linearly with velocity until a limiting value was reached, and then to remain constant. When Teflon and metals were rubbed together, the charge increased linearly with velocity without reaching a maximum. When Teflon was rubbed with insulators, the charge increased linearly with velocity in some cases but remained constant in others. A study of the dependence of the sign and amount of charge transferred on the nature of the materials rubbed was undertaken, and a triboelectric series was established. For metals on insulators, the amount of charge generated was found to be related to the work function of the metal and the position of the insulator in the triboelectric series. For insulators rubbed on insulators, the amount of charge transferred appeared to be independent of the positions of the insulators in the series.

Static Electrification of Filaments Theoretical Aspects1

“…But even then it must be realized that the position of the Fermi level depends not merely on chemical composition, but on temperature and on the detailed molecular structure. Thus we are not surprised that Jamieson [9] noted in 1910 that mechanical strain modifies the charging of celluloid sheets and some other materials, and that in reference [7] ] an undrawn nylon filament was found always to acquire a negative charge when rubbed against a drawn nylon filament from the same melt. Because of possible inhomogeneities in chemical composition and molecular structure, then, we shall expect consistent direction of transfer from one rub to another, or from one sample to another, only if the composition and structure are such that the Fermi levels in isolation have a reasonably wide separation.…”

“…This is really a restriction on the range of the applicability of the theory, not an assumption. Specifically, we believe that for the experiments described in reference [ 7 ] , except possibly for those at the highest normal forces, the effect of breakdown is negligible. A discussion of our reasons for this belief has been given in reference [7], pp.…”

“…An earlier paper [7] described the experimental techniques and the results of a study on the static electrification of filaments rubbed against one another under controlled mechanical and ambient conditions. The present paper proposes a semiquantitative theory of the mechanism of charge transfer under these conditions, and discusses the experimental results in the light of this theory.…”

Synthesis and Properties of Water-soluble Polyamine Phosphate Type Durable Antistatic Agent.

“…The concept of the generation of static electricity on synthetic fibers has been known since Hersh and Montgomery revealed the theory of friction triboelectric series on all kinds of synthetic fibers in 1955 (1). As a result, in our daily lives their static electricity hazard has stood out considerably with the development of synthetic fibers.…”

Novel Method to Protect Electronics Devices from Electrostatic Charging using Electrostatic Series of Polymers

“…An empirical electrostatic series of polymers is well documented. [2][3][4][5][6] When material ''A'' is contacted then separated from material ''B'', an electrostatic charging is observed and ranked by an empirical electrostatic series. The electrostatic series ranks the polymers in the order of the relative polarity of the charge acquired from positive to negative such as nylon and halogenated polymers, respectively.…”