Methodological aspects of measuring the electrostatic field strength of polymer building materials

Introduction. The advancement in the chemical industry has led to the development of a broad spectrum of synthetic polymer materials. Their exceptional performance characteristics, combined with the capability to engineer materials with tailored properties, facilitate their extensive application in industrial manufacturing. However, the propensity of polymer surfaces to accumulate electrostatic charge presents potential risks of adverse health effects for end-users, necessitating systematic monitoring and hygienic evaluation of these products and materials.

The purpose of the study was to substantiate methodological approaches for measuring electrostatic field strength in the vicinity of polymeric material surfaces.

Materials and methods. The electrostatic field strength of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fabric specimen was measured both at rest and after undergoing a series of rubbing cycles involving various materials.

Results. The measured electrostatic field strength values did not exceed established hygienic limits and ranged from 1.04 ± 0.20 to 8.70 ± 1.54 kV/m, depending on the number of rubbing cycles. When the specimen was subjected to friction with synthetic textile materials, the results demonstrated greater stability compared to those obtained with natural wool fabric.

Limitations. The findings of this study are applicable exclusively to measurements of electrostatic field strength from synthetic polymer materials conducted under controlled laboratory conditions.

Conclusion. The experimental results confirmed the feasibility of employing the triboelectric effect for measuring and evaluating the strength of the electrostatic field generated by polymeric materials. The obtained data enable the determination of the minimum number of rubbing cycles required for electrostatic field strength stabilization, as well as the criteria for selecting contact materials for electrostatic induction on specimen surfaces.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require an opinion from a biomedical ethics committee or other documents.

Contributions:
Kriyt V.E. – research concept; editing;
Sladkova Yu.N. – research design; text writing;
Sklyar D.N. – research design; material processing;
Volchkova O.V., Plekhanov V.P. – material collection.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: April 17, 2026 / Revised: May 25, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

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