The Triboelectric Effect
It was discovered in
antiquity that, when certain dissimilar materials were rubbed together, what we
now call an electrostatic field was generated between them. One of the materials
becomes more positive with respect to the other. This phenomenon is now known as
the triboelectric effect, or triboelectric charging. Modern work has led to the
development of the "triboelectric series," an ordered list of materials from
higher to lower electron affinities. The greater distance between two materials
on the list, the easier it is to generate a charge redistribution resulting in
the generation of an electrostatic field.
Triboelectric charging is usually the mechanism responsible
for the generation of electrostatic voltages relevant to electronic products,
but others occur, including the direct charging of a device by a charged second
device and charging by the improper use of air ionizers (usually in factory
settings).
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