(Source: BASF SE) New antistatic additive for the plastics industry We are all familiar with the crackling sound and one's hair standing on end when taking off a synthetic sweater - which is at worst mildly discomforting. In industry however, the electrostatic charging of plastics can cause the failure of electronic components and computer chips and is even capable of igniting combustible gases, vapours and dusts. On the surface of a polymer, which is at first electrically neutral, charge may be generated by contact with another surface and subsequent rapid separation. Without suitable dissipation, this charge can neutralise in an uncontrolled and abrupt fashion. To address this problem,...
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