Antielectrostatic agents, otherwise known as antistatic agents, are products designed to reduce or completely eliminate the electrification of solids.
They prevent excessive accumulation of electrical charges on the surface of a material or product. They reduce the amount of charges by creating a micro layer that adsorbs and dissipates the charge. Compounds with a hydrophilic group in their structure are used as antielectrostatic agents,. The best results can be achieved by using agents containing a nitrogen atom in their molecules. An indirect function of antistatic additives is to reduce the amount of dust and dirt deposited on the surfaces on which they are applied. This is due to the lack of an opposite charge to the negatively charged particles of pollutants.
Antistatic agents can be introduced into the product at the manufacturing stage and migrate to the surface (during production of plastics) or can be applied onto the material, e.g. by applying them on the fabric surface.
Antistatic agents are used in the plastics, packaging, textile, food, metallurgical and pharmaceutical industries. They are also used in the detergents industry, where they are one of the components of preparations intended for washing and cleaning surfaces, to prevent dust from settling.
