Back Corona in Fabrics

An electrical charge which appears on the surface or in the volume of fibres, yarns, warp or weft or ultimately on the textile product itself, may be a source of the electric field in its structure [1] as well as in its neighbourhood [2]. Depending on the function the textiles fulfil, the effects associated with the appearance of a strong electric field may be considered as positive or negative. Among the positive effects we may mention the high filtering efficiency of the electret filters made of polymeric non-woven fabrics [3]. On the other hand, electrostatic ‘gluing’ (which is especially dangerous in the use of parachutes), electrostatically escalated dirtying, electrical discharges from clothing (which can cause serious damage to sensitive electronics [2]) or discharges from fabric containers (hazards associated with the likely ignition of flammable media) may be considered as negative effects, along with many others. Hazards caused by application of fabrics may also be associated with the fact that the discharges from the fabric surfaces may produce pulses supplying the object with energy of the order of many microjoules, and thus generate electrical current pulses with an amplitude of the order of some amperes [2].