Electrostatic Discharge Properties of Stainless Steel/Polyester Woven Fabrics

The primary object of this research is to develop a new material for avoiding electrostatic discharge, which can be used not only in home textiles, electrical and electronic devices, and subsystems, but also in clean-room applications such as the pharmaceutical and optical industries. This paper therefore presents studies leading to the development of conductive woven fabrics to attenuate electrostatic discharge. In general, most man-made fabrics are subjected to electric conductivity and electrostatic discharges. To overcome problems caused by such conditions, stainless steel/polyester woven fabrics made on a handloom have been developed successfully. Stainless steel staple fibers are incorporated into these fabrics as conductive fillers to promote the electrostatic discharge properties of the woven fabric. To facilitate weaving and reduce material costs, blended yarns comprising stainless steel/polyester fibers are produced on a ring spinning system. Attenuation of the electrostatic discharge (ESD) for various woven fabrics is determined by an ESD immunity tester in a voltage range of 4-8 kV. Variations of ESD attenuation of the woven fabric structures, the number of layers, and the blend ratio of stainless steel yarns are described. Typical electrostatic discharge voltage outputs and test methods for ESD attenuation are also reported.