Static charge decay

Static charge decay measures the ability of a material to dissipate an electrostatic charge and to assess whether significant voltages arise from practical amounts of charge.

Static charge decay is measured by Pira using a John Chubb JCI 155 charge decay test unit. It is used for assessing the electrostatic suitability of materials by measurement of charge decay and capacitance loading characteristics.

The JCI 155 unit uses a high voltage corona discharge to deposit a charge on the surface of the test material. An electrostatic field meter then measures the voltage generated by the charge and also measures how quickly the voltage falls as the charge migrates away.

Static discharge measurements are useful for determining the antistatic behavior of a material. The antistatic properties of the material are dependant on the rate at which it will accumulate or dissipate an electrostatic charge. These properties influence the tendency of the material to attract and retain dust and also its suitability for subsequent processing on certain types of conversion machinery.

The design of the JCI 155 instrument satisfies the requirements of BS 7506: Part 2 and IEC 61340-2-1.

Expert Profile

  • Doug joined Pira in 1989 and has 20 years experience in the physical testing of packaging and packaging materials. He heads a team specialising in packaging and print related technical investigations. In 2004 Doug gained his postgraduate degree with distinction in Packaging Technology from Brunel University.

    Doug Leatherdale
    Doug Leatherdale

    Head of Physical Testing

    Pira International

    +44 1372 80 2108

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