The concept of static electricity is familiar to everyone from the school physics course. Static electricity arises in the process of the appearance of charges on conductors, surfaces of various objects. They appear as a result of friction that occurs when objects come into contact.
Content
What is static electricity
All substances are made up of atoms. An atom has a nucleus surrounded by equal numbers of electrons and protons. They are able to move from one atom to another. When moving, negative and positive ions are formed. Their imbalance leads to the fact that static occurs. The static charge of protons and electrons in an atom is the same, but has a different polarity.
Statics appears in everyday life. Static discharge can occur at low currents but high voltages.In this case, there is no danger to people, but the discharge is dangerous for electrical appliances. During the discharge, microprocessors, transistors and other circuit elements suffer.
Causes of static electricity
Static occurs under the following conditions:
- contact or separation of two different materials;
- sudden changes in temperature;
- radiation, UV radiation, x-rays;
- operation of the paper cutting machine and cutting machines.
Static often occurs during or before a thunderstorm. Thunderclouds, when moving through air saturated with moisture, form static electricity. The discharge occurs between the cloud and the ground, between individual clouds. The device of lightning rods helps to conduct a charge to the ground. Thunderclouds create an electrical potential on metal objects that cause light shocks when touched. For a person, a blow is not dangerous, but a powerful spark can cause some objects to ignite.
Each resident has repeatedly heard a crack that is heard when removing clothes, a blow from touching the car. This is a consequence of the appearance of static. An electric discharge is felt when cutting paper, combing hair, and pouring gasoline. Free charges accompany a person everywhere. The use of various electrical devices increases their appearance. They occur when pouring and grinding solid products, pumping or pouring flammable liquids, when transporting them in tanks, when winding paper, fabrics and films.
The charge appears as a result of electrical induction. Large electric charges are created on the metal bodies of cars in the dry season.The TV screen or computer monitor is capable of being charged by exposure to a beam created in a cathode ray tube.
The harm and benefits of static electricity
Many scientists and inventors have tried to use a static charge. Bulky units were created, the benefits of which were low. The discovery by scientists of the corona discharge turned out to be useful. It is widely used in industry. With the help of an electrostatic charge, they paint complex surfaces, purify gases from impurities. All this is good, but there are numerous problems. Electric shocks are of great power. They can sometimes hit a person. This happens both at home and in the workplace.
The harm of static electricity is manifested in shocks of different power when removing a synthetic sweater, when leaving the car, turning on and off the food processor and vacuum cleaner, laptop and microwave oven. These strikes can be harmful.
There is static electricity, which affects the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. It should be protected from it. The person himself is also often a carrier of charges. When in contact with the surfaces of electrical appliances, they become electrified. If this is a control and measuring device, the case may end in its breakdown.
The discharge current brought by a person destroys connections with its heat, breaks the tracks of microcircuits, and destroys the film of field-effect transistors. As a result, the circuit becomes unusable. Most often, this does not happen immediately, but at any stage during the operation of the tool.
In factories processing paper, plastics, textiles, materials often behave incorrectly.They stick to each other, stick to various types of equipment, repel each other, collect a lot of dust on themselves, and wind incorrectly on spools or bobbins. This is due to static electricity. Two charges of the same polarity repel each other. Others, one of which is positively charged and the other negatively, attract. Charged materials behave in the same way.
In printing plants and other places where flammable solvents are used in the work, fire is possible. This occurs when the operator is wearing shoes with non-conductive soles and the equipment is not properly grounded. The flammability depends on the following factors:
- discharge type;
- discharge power;
- source of static discharge;
- energy;
- presence of solvents or other flammable liquids nearby.
Discharges are spark, carpal, sliding carpal. A spark discharge emanates from a person. Carpal occurs on the pointed parts of the equipment. Its energy is so small that it practically does not cause a fire hazard. A sliding brush discharge occurs on synthetic sheets, as well as on roll materials with different charges on each side of the web. It poses the same danger as a spark discharge.
Lethality is a major issue for safety professionals. If a person holds on to the bobbin and is himself in a zone of tension, his body will also be charged. Always touch ground or grounded equipment to discharge the charge.Only then will the charge go to the ground. But a person will receive a strong or weak electric shock. As a result, reflex movements occur, which sometimes lead to injury.
A long stay in a charged zone leads to irritability of a person, to a decrease in appetite, and worsening of sleep.
Dust from the production area is removed by ventilation. It accumulates in pipes and can be ignited by a static spark.
How to remove static electricity from a person
The simplest means of protection against it is equipment grounding. In production conditions, screens and other devices are used for this purpose. In liquid substances, special solvents and additives are used. Antistatic solutions are actively used. These are substances with a low molecular weight. The molecules in an antistatic agent move easily and react with moisture in the air. Due to this characteristic, static is removed from a person.
If the operator's shoes have non-conductive soles, he must necessarily touch the ground. Then the escape of static current into the ground cannot be stopped, but the person will receive a strong or weak blow. We feel the effect of static current after walking on carpets and rugs. Drivers getting out of the car receive electric shocks. It is easy to get rid of this problem: just touch the door with your hand while sitting still. The charge will drain to the ground.
Ionization helps a lot. This is done using an antistatic bar. It has many needles made of special alloys. Under the action of a current of 4-7 kV, the air around decomposes into ions. Air knives are also used.They are an antistatic bar through which air is blown and cleans the surface. Static charges are actively formed when liquids with dielectric properties are sprayed. Therefore, to reduce the action of electrons, a falling jet should not be allowed.
It is advisable to use antistatic linoleum on the floor and clean more often with household chemicals. At enterprises associated with the processing of fabrics or paper, the problem of getting rid of static is solved by wetting materials. Increased humidity prevents harmful electricity from accumulating.
To remove static, you must:
- humidify the air in the room;
- treat carpets and rugs with antistatic agents;
- wipe the seats in the car and in the rooms with antistatic wipes;
- Moisturize your skin more often
- refuse synthetic clothing;
- wear shoes with leather soles;
- prevent the appearance of static on the laundry after washing.
Indoor flowers, a boiling kettle, and special devices moisturize the atmosphere well. Antistatic compounds are sold in household chemical stores. They are sprayed over the carpet surface. You can make your own antistatic. To do this, take a fabric softener (1 cap), pour into a bottle. Then the container is filled with clean water, which is sprayed over the surface of the carpet. Wipes moistened with antistatic agent neutralize the charges on the seat upholstery.
Moisturizing the skin is done with lotion after a shower. Hands are rubbed several times a day. You should change clothes for natural. If it is charging, treat it with antistatic agents. It is recommended to wear shoes with leather soles or walk barefoot around the house. Before washing, it is advisable to pour ¼ cup of soda (food) on clothes.It removes the discharges of electricity and softens the fabric. When rinsing clothes, you can add vinegar (¼ cup) to the machine. It is better to dry clothes in the fresh air.
All of these measures help to neutralize static problems.
Similar articles:
