ESD Safe Matting for workbench/desk etc - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Noidzoid
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2019, 08:09:01 pm
content: What is this stuff made from? What makes it special? What is readily available that will do the job?I ask this as many simple and basic things are sold to consumers with a fancy name attached to them for much inflated £$€¥. One example being isopropyl alcohol watered down and sold as a cleaner in tiny spray bottles when you can buy half a litre neat for less than £5 in the UK.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2019, 08:33:27 pm
content: ESD mats have two different layers. The bottom is conductive and the top is dissipative. There are some cheap ones which can be damaged easily by heat (soldering iron) and the more expensive ones are fairly heat resistant.

author: Noidzoid
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2019, 09:06:55 pm
content: So could you make your own with a rubber mat placed on aluminium foil?

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2019, 09:29:00 pm
content: Basically yes, if you use a dissipative rubber mat. But aluminum has an oxidized surface which might cause problems.

author: Noidzoid
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2019, 10:37:54 pm
content: Is not all rubber dissipative?What metal or other material would be more suitable in place of aluminium?

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2019, 12:55:59 pm
content: Quote from: Noidzoid on October 31, 2019, 10:37:54 pmNo, rubber normally builds static charges, IIRC. Additives make it dissipative. (Or in the case of the conductive layer, they add a bunch of carbon.) I mean, you can get sprays that make any surface dissipative, but they cost as much as a real ESD mat...Anyhow, I don't recommend trying to DIY this, given that proper ESD mats aren't expensive. At least, they don't have to be. Reichelt, for example, has some for around £30:https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/index.html?ACTION=446&LA=446&SEARCH=esd%20mat

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2019, 01:28:13 pm
content: The bottom layer is more conductive, the top layer is less conductive, but still conductive.Say, as a crude ballpark, you want between 1Mohm and 1GOhm from any point of the mat, to the ground plug. The only way to achieve this is a more conductive "spreader" layer, then a less conductive actual surface that prevents shorting things out with too little resistance.Note that "dissipative" is just a fancy word for "a tiny little bit conductive".For example, for the ESD mat I have, the top layer is conductive enough to be easily measured on a megaohm range of a multimeter.AFAIK, there is no easy shortcut. Properly slightly conductive materials are not too easy to come by. Buying the proper ESD mat is likely easiest.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2019, 04:35:40 pm
content: There was a thread on building workbenches a few years ago, about the time I designed and built mine. There were some recommendations on sources for anti-stat mats that someone found, reasonably priced. I ordered the same, for my bench. It actually came with all the stuff - the mat, connector, and also a socket wired in for plugging in a wrist strap. Been on there for over 4 years now, still looks good as new. It wasn't 'cheap' as in a few tens of dollars, but neither was it crazy expensive, and there are several sizes and colors to chose from. Have to do some forum searching but it should turn up - hopefulyl they are still in business.Ah, here is the link to their ebay store. They are in Canada, I had no problem getting this in the US.https://www.ebay.com/str/canvu00

author: Noidzoid
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2019, 09:39:48 pm
content: Thanks everyone for the informative replies.It seems it is not just a straightforward buy a roll of something common for a few £ instead of being ripped off because of a label.I will be looking for a kit with plug, cables and matting I think.