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Reference · Plastic Conductivity

Conductive plastics.
ESD-safe.
Anti-static design.

Electrical conductivity in plastics — insulating, dissipative, conductive. ESD-safe materials for electronics. Surface resistivity guides selection.

01 · Key principles

Key principles.

Insulators

> 10¹² Ω/sq

Standard plastics. Surface resistivity > 10¹² Ω/sq. Standard insulator.

Anti-static

10⁹-10¹² Ω/sq

Static-dissipative. Slow charge dissipation. Electronics packaging.

ESD-safe

10⁶-10⁹ Ω/sq

Static-dissipative materials. ESD-safe workstation materials.

Conductive

< 10⁶ Ω/sq

Conductive plastics — carbon-loaded. Specialty applications.

Carbon-filled

Black

Carbon black or carbon nanotube fillers. 5-25% loading.

Inherently conductive

PEDOT, polypyrrole

Conducting polymers. Specialty (sensors, displays).

FAQ

When need anti-static?

Electronics handling — IC trays, packaging. Prevents static damage to sensitive components.

Carbon vs metal fillers?

Carbon: cheaper, lower conductivity, doesn't affect color much. Metal: higher conductivity, more expensive.

Surface vs volume resistivity?

Surface for static dissipation. Volume for through-thickness conductivity. Different applications.

ESD test methods?

ANSI/ESD S20.20 standard. Resistivity per ASTM D257. Charge decay per FTM 4046.

Color limitations?

Carbon fillers force black color. Metal fillers can be lighter. Pure conducting polymers various colors.

Cost premium?

ESD-safe grades 30-100% premium over standard. Worth it for ESD-sensitive applications.

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