Antistatics. Lubricants. Shock absorbers

Plastics are electrical insulators that can accumulate electrostatic charges on their surface. Potentials can be as high as several kilovolts, and this can be a disadvantage or risk when using these materials for certain applications. Indeed, discharges can dangerously heat up air carrying flammable vapors (e.g. local mixtures of oxygen and anesthetic gas in surgery, transport and storage of flammable liquids not recommended in plastic containers).

Serious consequences can result from the electrification of plastic-based equipment (e.g. disruption of automatic controls or radio communications during aircraft take-off and landing).

The attraction of dust to everyday objects (household appliances, radio, television) is less serious, but the difficulties encountered during processing (e.g. poor winding of calendered films) are industrially damaging. These drawbacks justify the use of special antistatic additives.