The Role of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Foams in Safeguarding Electronic Gadgets

When it comes to safeguarding electronic products, packaging is the king! The right packaging will prevent the products from accruing dust, moisture, physical trauma, and perhaps most significantly, electrostatic discharge (ESD). Most electronic products are greatly exposed to ESD that even a minute fraction of electricity might damage these devices.

Intricately developed electrical modules can be greatly delicate, and this is mainly true in case of electrostatic-sensitive devices. Even when such type of sensitive devices are manufactured, engineers have to maintain additional precautions – for instance: work in ESD workstations, wear anti-static apparels, control humidity, or put on anti-static wrist wraps – for avoiding damage to their work.

This is because static electricity is everywhere in our surroundings and a minor shockwave can be produced by almost any two surfaces of objects coming in contact, for instance: your shoes and a rug, hair and a hat, even your hand and the handle of a door. The shock produced is owing to a speedy transfer of electrons in between two surfaces of objects with opposing charges. Unluckily, even a shockwave as small as 5 volts can cause damage to electrostatic-sensitive devices more than overhaul. Also, as humans possesses natural sources of electricity within their bodies, they cannot be cautious always. With possible sources of static electricity all around us and the expensive electrostatic-sensitive devices, the introduction of the anti-static foams or electrostatic discharge (EDS) foams alone has saved indefinable costs of many companies every single day.

Why to Use ESD Foam in Electronic Gadgets?

Today, most electronic products use ESD foam in their interiors. This is because ESD foam prevents the transmission of electrostatic charges between two electronic components in a gadget. ESD can be used in packing and transporting electronic devices that are sensitive to electrostatic discharge.

Often, electrostatic-sensitive devices can be costly. Some of the common examples of such devices are resistors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), transistors, and integrated circuits (ICs) for graphics. A number of industries today are making use of ESD foams on a daily basis and in huge quantities to protect several electronic devices. As per a report by Research Dive, the global electrostatic discharge (ESD) foams market is expected to reach newer heights with a CAGR of 9.5% in the 2021-2028 timeframe, owing to the rising applications of ESD foams in various industrial sectors.

Anti-static foams are made using open-cell polyurethane foam and contains special chemicals as well as an anti-static agent. Usually, it is dyed pink during the production process, to distinguish it from other types of foams.

Along with shielding products from static discharge, an anti-static foam offers any probable electrical charge a path away from the packing, thus letting it to dissipate without causing any harm. Moreover, as components are held within their own discrete positions in the foam, there is no possibility of turboelectric or frictional charging owing to rubbing of objects together.

Dive in to know about the 4 types ESD foam: PE Foam, EVA Foam, EPE foam, and PU foam, and their features and strong points.

1. ESD PE Foam

It is black in colour and made up of PE material. It comes in customizable sizes and possesses a surface resistance of 10^3-9. It has a closed type of cell structure and a long anti-static time. It does not possess any kind of smell and is eco-friendly in nature.

2. ESD EVA Foam

It comes in customizable sizes. It is black in colour and made up of EVA foam material. It possesses a surface resistance of 10^3-9. It has a closed type of cell structure and offers an extended anti-static time. It does not possess any sort of odour and is eco-friendly in nature. The thickness of its single layer is about 40mm and it is easy to process moulding with this type of foam.

3. ESD EPE Foam

It is pink in colour and made up of EPE foam material. It comes in customizable sizes and possesses a surface resistance of 10^8-11. It has a closed type of cell structure and a short anti-static time of about 6 months. It is softer as compared to PE and EVA foam and eco-friendly in nature.

4. ESD PU Foam

It is black in colour and made up of PU foam material. It comes in customizable sizes and possesses a surface resistance of 10^3-9. It has an open type of cell structure and a short anti-static time. It is soft and has good sound absorption.

The Bottom Line

As electronic products are mostly expensive, it is favourable to use ESD foams to guarantee safety of such gadgets. As the need for ESD foams is vital and growing with the rising developments in the electronics industry, it is expected that the scope for the market for ESD foams will widen with lucrative opportunities in various other industries in the coming years.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.