Abstract:

Clothes with antistatic properties are demanded in many fields of the industry. This is generally achieved by integrating highly-conductive fibres of different structures. Antistatic functionality is assessed by applying standardised test methods. The ongoing development of antistatic materials and clothes, as well as updating the requirements, requires a permanent adaptation of the examination basis. The aim is a comprehensive and practice-oriented assessment of antistatic characteristics. This paper describes selected research results from the Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI) in the field of textile electrostatics. As well as methods for the antistatic assessment of fabrics, a method for classifying fully antistatic clothes is introduced. Another field of the STFI’s research comprises the development of test & assessment methods for protective clothing against the thermal risks of an electrical arc. Fundamentals, test equipments and normative integration are represented.