Handbook of Antistatics 2E

This handbook is the first comprehensive book written on the subject of antistatic additives. A few previously published books are either very old or they constitute short reviews or chapters in books on polymer additives. The second edition is updated with the most recent literature and substantially enlarged.

The present volume includes information based on the complete review of existing literature and patented inventions on additives capable of modifying properties of materials in such a manner that they become antistatic, conductive, and/or EMI shielding.

Many chemical families of materials are used for the production of antistatic additives. There are 828 commercial products derived from these developments and used by industry to change electric conductivity of materials. The properties of these commercial products are given in the extensive Database of Antistatics which constitutes a separate publication but useful together with this handbook. The information in both publications is not repeated but it is complementary. For those who prefer information in the form of printed book, Databook of Antistatics is available, which contains 300 most frequently used antistatics.

Antistatic additives are used in the production of materials from 59 generic families of polymers and numerous polymer blends having excellent conductive properties. Polymers containing antistatic additives are processed by 19 groups of processing methods and, in addition, 9 incorporation methods are used on the commercial scale with these products. The processing methods are used by 40 industries, listed in the box on the left side of the page, for the manufacture of a large number of commercial products.

Information on use of additives in various polymers is divided into the following sections: types and concentrations of antistatics used, the potential effect of antistatics on polymer and/or other additives, and examples of typical formulations used for processing of polymers containing the antistatic additive.

Information on use of additives in various products is divided into the following sections: types and concentrations of antistatics used by a particular industry, reasons for their use, advantages and disadvantages of the use of different additives, the effect on product properties, and examples of formulations. 

Processing methods are discussed using the following breakdown: types and concentrations of antistatics, eventual influence on processing, and examples of formulations. The goal of this chapter is to provide information on the amount and the type of antistatics used in each processing method, discuss the eventual influence of antistatics on the process, and give examples of typical formulations used by the discussed here processing methods.

The book contains 22 chapters, each addressing specific aspect of properties and applications of antistatic agents. The combination of the data and the comprehensive analysis of the performance of these materials forms the very important source of information for industry, research, academia, and legislature. These publications should be considered by any industrial, university, governmental, and public library because of widespread applications of these additives in the industry and everyday life.