Development of ESD paperboard laminate : A material study with focus on coating and design

Abstract: Due to the rapid development of technology, electrical products are being shipped all over the world. The electronic components have gotten greater in capacity but are smaller in size, making them sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD). ESD packaging protects sensitive components from electrostatic discharge and electrical fields. There are different types of packaging solutions depending on the sensitivity of the product. Rigid packaging of insulating paperboard, impregnated with a thin, conductive carbon layer was used in this study. The conductive material is supposed to lead the static electricity away from the product, to the packaging which is insulated, where it safely can discharge. The inside of the packaging, normally dressed in a foam to protect the device inside, is supposed to be replaced with paperboard. The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate whether or not an ESD-packaging can be created by coating a paperboard with a dispersion containing nanographite and nanocellulose. Solid Bleached Board is a paperboard made by the mill Iggesund Paperboard, used for graphical products and packaging of high quality. Paperboard is made from cellulose, an environmentally sustainable raw material from the forest. Classifications of materials used in ESD packaging-solutions are divided into how quickly electricity moves through the material. Carbon is normally within the range of 10^2 to 10^6 Ω for sheet- and volume resistance. Maximal charge and maximal electrical discharge of the packaging are by standard not supposed to exceed 100 V and 50 nJ. Two different nanographite dispersions with different binders (polyvinyl alcohol and cellulose nanofibres) have been made. These have been coated onto the paperboard using a bench-coater. Measurements of ESD- and paperboard-properties have been performed onto the paperboard. The measured values were within the range of what was considered acceptable to be able to create an ESD packaging. The prototype was designed materially with solid bleached board, coated with a dispersion made of 220g nanographite, 22g cellulose nanofibres and 3791g water with a solid content of 8,2%. The design has been developed with the company's existing packaging in mind together with information about the already existing ESD packages. The results from the measurements show that it is fully possible to create and produce ESD-packaging, but needs further testing after this thesis. Societal, ethical and environmental aspects have been considered during the entire study.