Antistatic packaging

There are difficulties in analysing conductive polymers, and information on the relationship between structure and properties somewhat difficult to obtain. These materials have already found a variety of uses, including flat panel displays, antistatic packaging and rechargeable batteries, and other applications are likely to emerge in the future. 

Sn, Sb)02/Mica Sn(0,F)2/Mica electrically conductive conductive flooring, antistatic packaging materials, light colored primed plastic surfaces which can be electrostatically painted in further coating process, light colored conducting surfaces in clean room conditions for dust reduction [5.235]... 

Antistatic packaging materials come in a variety of forms, including Him, foam, bubble wrap, and containers. ESD films in heat-shrinkable form are designed to minimize static generation by friction within the bag, as well as transmission of static charges from outside the bag. These materials are often tinted pink as a visible signal of their antistatic properties. 

The demand for antistatic, electromagnetic shielding and related additives in the plastics industry is driven partly by sales of electrical and electronic equipment, much of which requires antistatic packaging and housings. Antistats have an important role in office equipment, reducing paper jams. Clean rooms for the manufacture of chip trays and silicon wafer cases need antistatic and other additives with low ion contamination and low volatile eontent, which implies pine substances. Medical monitoring equipment and aircraft instrumentation need to be protected from electronic interference. 

Film or sheet generally function as supports for other materials, as barriers or covers such as packaging, as insulation, or as materials of constmction. The uses depend on the unique combination of properties of the specific resins or plastic materials chosen. When multilayer films or sheets are made, the product properties can be varied to meet almost any need. Further modification of properties can be achieved by use of such additives or modifiers as plasticizers (qv), antistatic agents (qv), fire retardants, sHp agents, uv and thermal stabilizers, dyes (qv) or pigments (qv), and biodegradable activators. 

Antistatic protection is an important consideration within the electronic industry and various antistatic agents are used commercially to aUeviate this problem in cushion packaging materials. 

Over time, finish components tend to separate and migrate within the fiber and throughout the yam package. With nylon, the ionic emulsifiers and antistats tend toward the core of the fiber whereas the hydrocarbon lubricants remain on the surface. It is, therefore, essential to scour yams and fabrics at neutral to basic pH to reemulsify the lubricant and remove the finish emulsifier prior to dyeiag. In formulating any new finish, environmental issues such as biodegradabihty, water and air pollution must be considered (137). 

Other Applications. PEO has also been used as an antistat additive (178,179), water-soluble packaging material of seeds and fertilizers (180), and rheology modifier in aqueous flexographic printing inks (qv) (181). 

BXL Plastics ERP division is introducing two new grades of antistatic and conductive foams at this years Intemepcon exhibition at the Birmingham NEC in the UK in March 1988. Brief details are given on conductive closed-cell crosslinked EVA copolymer foam, Evazote C, and antistatic PE foam Plastazote AS, both used for electronics packaging. 

When an EVA copolymer is saponified, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) units are introduced (17,18). EVOH copolymers are excellent in melt moldability, gas barrier properties, oil resistance, antistatic property and mechanical strength, and are used as various types of packages in the form of a film, a sheet, a container, etc. 

For the packaging of electronic components, antistatic features are usually required. This arises because circuits may be damaged by static electrical charges if they are packed in insulating sheets. 

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