How Static Shielding Bags Work

One of the most common problems for any professional or hobbyist in the electronics industry is static discharge. 

Whether it comes from an electronic component itself or from an outside source, these static charges have the potential to disrupt 

and

 irreversibly damage your items. 

While you may be able to control what 

kind of materials come 

near your goods while you work with them, what happens during storage and shipping is a guessing game that you 

can't always regulate. 

To prevent harmful electrostatic charges at any point of the supply chain process, you can enlist the help of static shielding bags 

and other 

anti-static 

packaging supplies

.

How Electrostatic Charges Occur

At this point, 

you may b

e wondering just how and why electrostatic charges 

happen

 and why they damage electronic components

.

 To boil it down to the basics, 

these instances occur 

when two 

objects rub against one another

. As this contact happens, 

they can create an imbalance of positive and negative charges

,

which 

are frequently referred to as friction, and that friction will 

then build up on the surface of one or both objects until 

it is 

released

. The friction release 

is what we refer to as an electrostatic charge or static discharge. 

This 

is

 especially problematic for electronic parts and devices, as their sensitive components can be fried by a static charge, rendering them broken and completely 

worthless

. 

What are Static Shielding Bags?

Some electronics are so sensitive to charges that even the static buildup on your own hands can permanently damage them. 

Static shielding bags, 

which are 

sometimes 

also 

called Faraday bags or ESD shielding bags,

 were developed in order to protect 

these 

valuable electronic devices and components from 

all levels of static discharge. 

These helpful poly bags consist of multiple layers that all work together to protect your items. 

Essentially, they act sort of like a small Faraday cage (hence the name Faraday bags) that offers outstanding security to any sensitive or valuable electronic components you place inside. Let’s take a look at how static shielding bags work and how they

 are constructed:

Layer 1: 

ny sort of electric charge, which means that harmful static buildups won’t happen inside of it.

Layer 2: 

The middle layer of any static shielding bag is constructed from aluminum. This material is what provides the actual shield against external static discharges that would otherwise pass through the bag and destroy the part inside. 

This is because the aluminum acts as a conductor that will take the discharge and ground them, keeping your electronics out of harm’s way. 

Layer 3: 

The final outer layer of 

the black static shielding bag is polyester

 plastic with a dissipative coating to help prevent static buildups

, just like the inner layer. 

However, this 

outer layer protects both the product inside the Faraday bag and 

the

 middle aluminum l

ayer from electrostatic charges. 

Static shielding bags are an essential tool for packaging and storing any kind of sensitive electronics, but we commonly see them used to protect 

items like circuit boards, memory cards, processors, and more. 

Most often, these bags are a black or metallic black color, which makes them more easily recognizable.

 One important aspect of these versatile tools to make sure to note is that in order to work correctly and effectively, Faraday bags must be properly and tightly sealed with no punctures

, rips, or tears

. 

Static Shielding Bags vs. Anti-Static Bags

When seeking out protective packaging that is specifically designed for electronics, many businesses also use a 

product called anti-static bags

. These bags are very similar to Faraday bags in that they 

are 

constructed

 out of 

polye

thylene

 plastic with

 dissipative coatings to 

prevent static buildup within the bag itself. However, unlike static shielding bags, they do not have an aluminum layer to act as a conductor and safeguard the product 

against external static charges. Anti-static bags are of

ten characterized by their pink color and are also available in other packaging materials like bubble film or foam. They tend to cost less than their static shielding counterparts, but do not offer the same level of protection. 

Finding the Right Static Shielding Bags

No matter what kind of electronics you work with, static shielding bags can offer incredible benefits. To learn more about the different 

types

 of Faraday bags, anti-static bags, and other protective packaging materials for your most sensitive goods, 

contact us today

!