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Summary in English
Static electricity is one of
the oldest known physical phenomena and it has been studied for centuries.
The importance of electrostatics, however, has not decreased in the 21st
century but vice versa. Progress in semiconductor technology has made
electronic devices more sensitive to static electricity and electrostatic
discharges (ESD) than ever before. Explosions and fires related to rapid
discharges of static electricity are still a big problem. Contamination of
critical surfaces due to electrostatic attraction (ESA) with bonding of
particulate to critical surfaces are of growing problem in many branches of
industry as well as in health care. Electrostatics is applied in
biotechnology in the control of micro-organisms etc. In addition to well
known applications of static electricity such as xerox copying and laser
printing, new applications of static electricity, such as MEMS (micro
electromechanical sensors) and
m-TAS
(micro total analysis systems) are finding their way to market.
The Finnish association for
the management of static electricity,
STAHA, is a forum where experts of electrostatics can meet and change
experience. Contacts and more information: Mr.
Hannu Salmela, VTT.
VTT Technical Research Centre of
Finland is a contract research organisation involved in many
international assignments. VTT provides a wide range of technology and
applied research services (including
research services related to electrostatics) for its clients, private
companies, institutions and the public sector.
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