IG7 Page 12
Believe it or not, there are always ions around you. They are created by nu-
merous methods, most notably: radioactive decay, solar radiation, friction be-
tween dissimilar materials such as air and land, and materials like water
changing state from water to ice and water to gas. Some of these methods
combine to fuel lightning which we see during a storm. These provide plenty of
ionic flow besides the actual lightning strikes.
A very good book on this subject is called Nature’s Electricity written by
Charles K. Adams and published by Tab Books.
Ions in your home
Natural occurrences aren’t the only ion generators, many are generated by
you and your actions! There is a large market for anti-static devices for pro-
tecting sensitive electronics as well as the dignity of people when their cloths
cling together. That ‘cling wrap’ is pretty hand stuff too! With so many dissimi-
lar materials around you, there is always an ability to create a static potential.
Some of this static potential will dissipate in the air as ionic flow. Since static
generation depends heavily on relative humidity, here is a little comparison
chart to show you what kind of potentials may be found around your home and
workplace.
Typical Voltage Levels
The chart shows you how much voltage is produced just through daily activi-
ties and how sensitive they are to humidity levels. It also brings to light how
high voltages can be generated at your electronics workbench! Many modern
components can’t handle a discharge of more that 1,000V. Older components
often can’t handle more than 10 volts! Of course static potential doesn’t indi-
cate definite ion flow. When a potential like 35,000V is generated on your
body (by you walking around a room), sharp points all over your body leak the
ions into the air where they eventually get back to the carpet fibers you walked
across and pull the high charge from originally. As the ions leak off of your
body, the voltage becomes lower and lower until ion flow ceases.
Means of generation 10-25% RH 65-90% RH
Walking across carpet 35,000V 1,500V
Walking across vinyl 12,000V 250V
Worker at bench 6,000V 100V
Poly bag picked up from
bench
20,000V 1,200V
Chair with urethane
foam
18,000V 1,500V
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