Choosing The Right Bag
Choosing The Right Bag
Choosing The Right Bag
BACKGROUND
Almost everyone is aware of the effects of
static electricity in general terms. Scuffing
one’s shoes on carpet and touching a person
or metal door handle produces a brief shock.
Drying synthetic clothing in a cloths dryer will
often produce "static cling". The static
electricity behind these common events can
destroy modern electronic circuits and devices.
TESTING OF PROTECTION
The Static Shielding test, EIA 541 Appendix E,
applies a direct discharge to a bag. See Figure
1. An oscilloscope connected to a sensor
inside the bag measures the amount of
voltage that penetrates the bag. This test also
addresses the Field threat. Fields are
generated by the discharge to the outside of
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4916 26 Street West, Suite 100, Bradenton, Florida 34207
Toll Free 877-GND-ZERO (463-1376), Direct Phone 941-751-7581 Fax 1-941-751-7586
Email [email protected]
http://www.gndzero.com
'PINK' POLY BAGS OR bags. In the past, a reactive form
DISSIPATIVE POLY BAGS of amine was used in the
Abilities: The bag has the ability chemical antistat. This antistat
to dissipate a static charge to caused oxidation of some metals
ground. This and stress cracking in some
keeps charge (static electricity) plastics. The pink color is some
from building up on the package times incorrectly associated with
or the device. The material is this amine type antistat. Some
also antistatic, suggesting that it manufacturers switched to amide
will not charge up (tribocharge) based antistats and removed the form of carbon. The material is
when rubbed against other pink color in response to black and opaque in appearance.
materials. The material's customer requests. Figure 5.
resistivity is in the dissipative
range and is usually about 109 to Applications: Pink Poly bags are Applications: In the past, black
1011. Unfortunately these bags useful for packaging items that poly was used as a bridge
have no shielding ability. A static have no static between pink poly and shield
field or discharge occurring susceptibility. Their primary use bags because of slightly lower
outside the bag will penetrate the is to package support or cost and offering some shielding
bag and damage electronics processing material that will be as opposed to none with pink
inside. The graph below shows in close proximity to static poly. However, as the price of
the penetration of a dissipative sensitive devices. This keeps shield bags continues to drop the
poly bag by electrostatic static generating packaging usage of black poly will likely
discharge (ESD). See Figure 2. materials away from sensitive drop as well. Because black poly
areas. Poly bags are also known bags are opaque, the bag's
as "TYPE II" bags from the U.S. contents must be removed for
military standard MIL-B-81705. identification. This creates a new
opportunity for static damage.
BLACK CONDUCTIVE POLY
BAGS
Abilities: Black Poly is very
conductive, usually about 103-4,
and will dissipate a charge very
fast. Unfortunately this fast
dissipation also means that a
Construction: Pink Poly bags charged person or object can
consist of polyethylene (plastic) 'spark' (ESD) to its surface. The
that has been loaded or surface general idea in static control is to
coated with a chemical antistat. swap charges at a slow enough
See figure 3. The pink color of rate to avoid sparks. But not too SHIELDING BAGS
slow so as to allow a static build Abilities: Shield bags provide the
up. Because the material is dissipative and antistatic
conductive it does provide some attributes of the poly bag but add
small measure of shielding a metal shield and polyester
(<30%). However there is no dielectric to stop static from
plastic layer (dielectric) to isolate entering the bag. The test for
a device inside a bag. The charge shielding demonstrates the
may be transferred through the difference between the various
volume of the material to the bags. Shield bags will generally
device instead of around the stop 97% of a 1000 volt static
material to ground. pulse applied to the outside of
"pink poly" is only a colorant that
See figure 4. the bag from reaching the inside.
was added to differentiate static
Pink poly will stop only about
control materials from standard
Construction: Black Poly bags are 10% and black poly out 30%. See
packaging. (Pink poly is
a polyethylene plastic that is figure 6.
transparent) Many users are now
asking for clear dissipative poly volume loaded with a conductive
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4916 26 Street West, Suite 100, Bradenton, Florida 34207
Toll Free 877-GND-ZERO (463-1376), Direct Phone 941-751-7581 Fax 1-941-751-7586
Email [email protected]
http://www.gndzero.com
The "foil and tyvek" structure
The metal-in or buried layer bag from the interior to the exterior is:
offers better protection of the dissipative poly laminated to thin
transparent metal shield by aluminum foil and tyvek. Tyvek is
placing it between two plastic Du Pont spunbonded poly-
layers. The surface metal bag ethylene material. The "heavy
has a conductive outer surface metallization" structure is
which provides fast charge essentially that of a shield bag
dissipation. However, like the but with opaque, thick aluminum
black poly bag, it can be sparked metallization or multiple layers of
to. metallization. Nylon may be used
Construction: Static Shielding in place of Tyvek or polyester. It
bags consist of several layers. Applications: Static shield bags provides the needed strength at
From the interior to the exterior should be used for all electronic a lower cost than Tyvek. Both foil
the layers are: dissipative poly components, boards and and metalized moisture barriers
laminated (glued) to metalized assemblies. Shield bags are provide good service.
polyester. The outside polyester referred to as TYPE III under MIL-
has an antistat coating. The B- 81705C. Applications: The moisture
metal is vapor deposited in a barrier bag is used when barrier
vacuum chamber. Aluminum is protection is needed or when
MOISTURE BARRIER BAGS
the metal most used in this Abilities: Moisture barrier bags maximum shielding protection is
process, with nickel and copper provide dissipation, antistatic desired but transparency is not
also being used. properties, static shielding, and an issue. Surface mount devices
add a moisture vapor barrier. are placed in moisture barrier
This structure of a shield bag, The moisture barrier protects bags to avoid moisture
with the metal between two moisture sensitive items and absorption by the IC case
layers of plastic, is called "buried improves long term storage. material. During reflow soldering,
metal" or "metal-in". absorbed moisture will expand
Construction: This type of bag is and crack ("popcorn") the case.
In a "surface metal" or "metal- physically stronger than a shield The moisture barrier bag is also
out" structure, the poly is bag. Moisture barrier bags are referred to as MIL-B- 81705
laminated to the polyester with similar in structure to the shield TYPE I.
the metal on top. There is an bags. The two types are "foil and
abrasion coating on the metal. tyvek" (figure 9) and "heavy
The metal generally used is SUMMARY
metallization".(figure 10) Static protective bags are an
nickel and it is sputtered instead
of vapor deposited. integral part of a static control
See figures 7 and 8. program. Selecting the
appropriate bag can help
reduce static damage and save
money on costly repairs and
rework. One company saved over
$200,000 and experienced a 30
to 1 ROI in one year by replacing
pink poly bags with shield bags.
th
4916 26 Street West, Suite 100, Bradenton, Florida 34207
Toll Free 877-GND-ZERO (463-1376), Direct Phone 941-751-7581 Fax 1-941-751-7586
Email [email protected]
http://www.gndzero.com
- Use pink poly for non-electronic (humidity) from the air creating a (except for the 102 shielding
parts and production goods that moisture layer on the surface of value) are from the EIA 541 and
must be near electronics. the plastic that can conduct from the U.S. military MIL-HDBK-
- Bags alone can not provide electricity. Some more modern 263.
complete static protection. A antistats contain different
program using grounding chemical arrangements that
technique and static handling carry their own water with them.
procedures is a must. A combination of these chemical
antistats is also used.
Bag Sourcing:
Topics to remember when Creating a charge on objects by
sourcing bags include: rubbing (fiction) and separating
- Buyer be aware. The least them is call Tribocharging. An
expensive bag may not be the example of tribocharging is when
best investment. Look for a a person walks across a carpet
product that works above all and then sparks (ESD) to a door
else. Materials and bags should knob. The person's contact and
be tested by the manufacturer separation with the carpet
before shipping. Look at a charged them.
potential supplier’s quality
program, material traceability, The term antistatic refers to a
and testing abilities. material's ability to resist
generating a charge by friction
- Next, consider supply stability (tribocharging). Antistats can
and delivery. create an antistatic surface by
A low cost bag that is not increasing the surface's lubricity
available when you need it not a (slipperiness).
bargain.
Static Dissipative materials can
- A large selection of standard conduct static across their
sizes, (more than 100) will keep surface or through their volume
you from paying for custom sizes. to a ground point.
th
4916 26 Street West, Suite 100, Bradenton, Florida 34207
Toll Free 877-GND-ZERO (463-1376), Direct Phone 941-751-7581 Fax 1-941-751-7586
Email [email protected]
http://www.gndzero.com