Electrostatic Discharge Characteristics of Typical Gases

The electrostatic discharge of gas is a key issue in the industry of hazardous, such as petroleum, chemical, powder and so on. To explore feasible methods for inhibiting excessive electrostatic discharge voltage (ESD), in this work, the electrostatic breakdown characteristics of typical gases was studied. Two methods of temperature-control and pressure-control were adopted to conduct ESD experiment of air and carbon dioxide in different environment. The electrostatic breakdown energy also was calculated. Results indicated that as temperature decreases, or pressure increases, the electrostatic breakdown voltage increases. This is due to the increase of electron collision coefficient. And calculation results of electrostatic breakdown voltage energy unveiled that energy of air is lower than carbon dioxide in same condition. This work also discussed the process of charge transport in gaseous medium. Through the research in this paper, it provides data support and theoretical basis for the selection of protective gas for industrial production that requires electrostatic protection.