Validation of a Platform for the Electrostatic Characterization of Textile

Abstract

Floor covering samples of different thickness, pile height, pile design, materials, construction methods, and applied finishes were selected for electrostatic characterization with a standard plotter platform and a newly designed digital platform. There is an existing standard ISO 6356 in which the voltage generated by a human walking on the carpet is measured with human involvement under controlled conditions. A walking person performs the original test procedure to generate the electrostatic charge and manually calculates results. In contrast, the newly designed system does not require a person to calculate peaks and valleys for the generated electrostatic charges, which offers advantages in terms of accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility, and eliminates human error. The electronic platform is extended with an automated foot for a fully automated test, called “automatic mode”, that has a fixed capacitive and resistive circuit, in replace of human body resistance, and capacitance that varies from person to person and over time. The procedure includes both the old and new platforms, where the new platform is placed in a “human walking” mode to compare the two and validate the new device. Next, all the floor coverings are tested in automatic mode with the automated foot to compare and validate results. We conclude that the new testing device can fully characterize the electrostatic behavior of textile without the involvement of a human, which offers advantages in terms of accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility.