When managing static electricity, the most common misunderstanding is simple:

“Just use conductive materials.”

In reality, static control is not about making everything conductive. It’s about understanding how conductors and insulators behave differently, and how each influences charge generation, accumulation, and discharge.

In Australian industrial environments, particularly in dry inland or air-conditioned facilities, choosing the wrong material class can increase:

• Electrostatic discharge (ESD) risk
• Product contamination
• Ignition hazards
• Production inefficiencies

If you’re new to electrostatics, start with what is static electricity before diving into material classifications.

This article explains the physics behind conductors and insulators, and how each plays a strategic role in static control.

The Core Difference

At a fundamental level:

• Conductors allow electric charge to move freely.
• Insulators resist the movement of electric charge.

This difference determines whether charge:

• Dissipates safely
• Accumulates to dangerous levels
• Discharges unpredictably

Understanding this behaviour is the foundation of effective static mitigation.

What Is a Conductor?

A conductor is a material that permits electrons to flow easily across its surface or through its volume.

Common conductors include:

• Copper
• Aluminium
• Steel
• Carbon-loaded materials

When a conductor is properly grounded, accumulated charge flows harmlessly to earth.

This is why grounding is central to static control in industrial environments.

However, conductivity alone does not eliminate static risk, especially when insulative materials are involved.

What Is an Insulator?

An insulator resists electron flow.

Common industrial insulators include:

• Plastics
• Rubber
• Glass
• Composite materials
• Synthetic fabrics

Insulators are often responsible for static generation via the triboelectric effect.

For a detailed explanation of this mechanism, see The Triboelectric Effect Explained.

Because charge cannot move freely across an insulator’s surface, it becomes trapped, and can reach very high voltages before discharging.

Why Insulators Are the Real Static Risk

Most static problems originate on insulative materials.

When two insulators contact and separate:

• Electrons transfer
• Charge remains localised
• Dissipation is slow in dry air

In Australian conditions, particularly in low-humidity regions, this accumulation accelerates. See static electricity in Australia for environmental context.

Conductors discharge quickly when grounded.
Insulators store charge until voltage becomes high enough to break down air.

That breakdown produces electrostatic discharge (ESD).

If you’re examining discharge behaviour more closely, review ESD vs general static.

Surface Resistance: The Critical Metric

In static control, materials are typically classified by surface resistivity (ohms per square).

There are three primary categories:

Classification	Surface Resistivity Range	Behaviour
Conductive	< 10⁴ ohms	Rapid charge flow
Dissipative	10⁴–10¹¹ ohms	Controlled charge bleed-off
Insulative	> 10¹¹ ohms	Charge retention

In many industrial environments, dissipative materials, not fully conductive ones, provide the optimal balance.

They prevent rapid spark discharge while allowing controlled charge decay.

For a deeper comparison of material behaviour, see anti-static vs conductive materials.

Why “Make It Conductive” Is Often the Wrong Strategy

Making a material fully conductive without grounding it can increase risk.

A floating conductor can:

• Accumulate charge
• Discharge suddenly
• Create concentrated sparks

A properly grounded conductor dissipates safely.
An ungrounded conductor can behave unpredictably.

Static control is not about conductivity alone, it’s about controlled charge management.

How Conductors Function in Static Control Systems

Conductors are used strategically to:

• Provide grounding paths
• Bond equipment components
• Equalise potential differences
• Prevent charge isolation

Grounding is essential in industries handling:

• Solvents
• Fuels
• Powders
• Grain dust

In these environments, static discharge can become an ignition source.

Why Insulators Cannot Simply Be “Grounded”

A common misconception:

“If it’s causing static, just ground it.”

Insulators do not conduct charge effectively. Grounding an insulative plastic panel does little to remove surface charge because electrons cannot move freely through the material.

Instead, static control for insulators typically requires:

• Ionisation
• Humidity control
• Surface treatments
• Anti-static additives

In dry Australian climates, humidity often drops below 40%, significantly increasing charge retention. See static electricity in dry climates for mitigation strategies.

Real-World Industry Examples

Electronics Manufacturing

In the electronics industry:

• Work surfaces are conductive or dissipative and grounded
• Packaging materials are static-dissipative
• Insulators are neutralised using ionisation

Because sensitive components can be damaged below 200 volts, controlled dissipation is critical.

Plastics Manufacturing

In plastics manufacturing:

• Films and sheets are insulative
• Conveyor rollers may be conductive
• Static causes cling, dust attraction, and web instability

Ionisation is often required because grounding alone cannot neutralise plastic surfaces.

Composite Manufacturing

In composite manufacturing:

• Resins and fibreglass are insulative
• Dust contamination is exacerbated by static
• Low humidity increases charge persistence

Static control becomes both a quality and safety requirement.

Environmental Amplification in Australia

Australia’s industrial landscape often combines:

• Low humidity
• Air-conditioned warehouses
• Synthetic materials
• High-speed automation

Under these conditions:

• Insulators accumulate charge rapidly
• Conductors require verified grounding
• Static problems become systemic

Humidity below 30% dramatically slows natural charge decay.

Conductors remain stable when grounded.
Insulators become increasingly problematic.

How to Decide: Conductive, Dissipative, or Insulative?

Material selection depends on application.

Use Conductive Materials When:

• Equipment must be bonded to earth
• Flammable atmospheres are present
• Charge equalisation is critical

Use Dissipative Materials When:

• Working near sensitive electronics
• Gradual charge bleed-off is required
• Rapid spark discharge must be avoided

Manage Insulators Using:

• Ionisation systems
• Surface treatments
• Environmental controls
• Process redesign

Material selection is not binary. It is application-specific.

Measuring Before Selecting

Before changing materials, measure.

Recommended tools include:

• Surface resistance meters
• Electrostatic field meters
• Charge plate monitors

Without data, material substitution becomes guesswork.

Static control should be engineered, not assumed.

The Strategic Takeaway

Conductors and insulators behave fundamentally differently in static environments.

• Conductors move charge.
• Insulators trap charge.

Effective static control requires:

• Understanding material behaviour
• Verifying grounding
• Managing environmental conditions
• Selecting dissipative materials where appropriate

In Australian dry environments, insulators pose the greatest challenge, and grounding alone is rarely sufficient.

A structured approach to material classification and discharge prevention is outlined in our complete static prevention strategy.