The buildup of static electricity on resin-coated flooring poses a serious threat. Static charges of up to 20,000 V can destroy sensitive components, and sparks caused by spontaneous discharge can be highly dangerous in explosion hazard zones. Conductive flooring is needed to avoid these risks. Copper strips or strands are used to ground the flooring and dissipate static charge. Even more important are conductive fillers such as Dorfner’s GRANUCOL® CONDUCT which ensure a highly efficient flow of electric charge over the full cross-section of the flooring composite. The charge then flows to the copper electrodes. GRANUCOL® CONDUCT essentially consists of high-strength quartz sand which has a special conductive coating. If a sufficient amount of GRANUCOL® CONDUCT is present in the flooring base layer (approx. 20%), conductive particles form pathways which act as microelectrodes and transport the charge to the grounding circuit.
By adding GRANUCOL® CONDUCT, synthetic resin based coating systems can be formulated which combine excellent functionality and aesthetics with efficient ESD protection. Electronics and IT equipment are protected in sensitive areas such as semiconductor production, data centers and server farms. Sensitive medical equipment in hospitals is also protected, and the flooring enhances explosion protection at chemical and pharmaceutical plants.