Electrostatic discharge (ESD) floors are floors installed with ESD flooring systems to protect electronics from damage caused by static electricity which accumulates from traffic.
Sika’s comprehensive range of flooring products is meticulously engineered to control and dissipate static electricity, ensuring a safer environment in industries where explosive atmospheres or sensitive electronic components are present. Static electricity poses a significant risk, potentially causing severe injury, equipment damage, and costly losses, particularly in sectors dealing with volatile chemicals or delicate electronics.
What is ESD?
Controlling electrostatic discharge begins with understanding how an electrostatic charge occurs in the first place.
An electrical charging process begins with a charge which is generated by the contact and separation of two surfaces. These surfaces can be in the form of solids, liquids or particles, such as gasses, dust or powder.
What Are the Risks?
If ESD protection and control is not taken into consideration:
- Fire and explosions can happen in places where there are explosive atmospheres and substances (gas, vapor, spray, liquids, dust, explosives, fireworks)
- Devices could be damaged or completely destroyed in places where there are electrostatic sensitive devices
It is this potentially unseen, unfelt or unheard ‘micro lightning’ spark that can occur without warning, which must be prevented or controlled.
When it comes to flooring, a person who walks over a normal floor stores a negative charge, which may in turn lead to static electroshock. This spark may damage microelectronic parts or even trigger an explosion.
Does My Project Need an ESD Floor?
In principle, ESD floors are needed in places with explosive atmospheres and substances (gas, vapor, spray, liquids, dust, explosives, fireworks).
In industries where electronic components or volatile chemicals are involved, static electricity can result in significant damage, injury and financial loss. All active electronic components and equipment, such as microchips, integrated circuits and machinery, are sensitive to ESD events. Even when areas and people are equipped to handle such static-sensitive devices, inadvertent contact and damage can still occur.
Sikafloor® ESD (Electro Static Discharge) and Sikafloor® ECF (Electrically Conductive Flooring) Systems can safeguard your entire process. These systems can be used to design and produce a floor that is tailor-made to meet your specific needs.
How to Choose an ESD Floor
Guide to selection of ESD protection for floors
There are many floor covering materials and systems which can provide different degrees of static-dissipative or antistatic (low charge-generating) properties.
The specification of flooring materials should be based on the architectural design, electrical code, standards and regulations for the specific project types and floor types.
Examples of ESD flooring systems
Sikafloor® MultiDur ES-56 ESD
Sikafloor® MultiDur ES-55 ESD
Sikafloor®-2350 ESD as Final Layer
- Low odour during application
- Free of carbon fibres
- Free of ionic/ antistatic agent
- Volume conductivity
- High compressive strength and hardness
- Suitable for permanent water load
- Meets ESD requirements even at low air humidity: BVG < 30 V
- Outstanding appearance, “like a mirror”
Sika AntiStatic & ESD Systems
Sika AntiStatic & ESD Products
FAQs
An anti‑static or ESD flooring system is a resin‑based floor finish engineered to control and safely dissipate electrostatic charge. In industrial and technical flooring environments, a normal concrete floor can allow static to build up, which may discharge unpredictably - causing damage to electronics or creating a spark in explosive atmospheres.
ESD floors are required in areas where sensitive equipment or volatile substances are present. A person walking on a normal floor may accumulate charge, then discharge it via a spark. Such sparks can damage microelectronics or ignite explosive atmospheres. So high‑performance floors that dissipate this charge protect both equipment and people.
Sikafloor ESD systems deliver seamless, low‑VOC finishes with defined resistance to ground (R₉ < 10⁹ Ω typical), body‑voltage generation under 100 V, good mechanical and chemical resistance, and earthing points integrated into the system.
These flooring systems are ideal for interior applications in electronics manufacturing, data centres, clean rooms, pharmaceutical production, automotive assembly, and any setting where electrostatic discharge could harm equipment or trigger risk. They are not for exterior use.
Selecting the right floor system means assessing traffic type, equipment sensitivity, required body‑voltage limits, earthing‑point density, substrate condition, ambient humidity and cleaning regime. Specify agreed performance values (resistance, body voltage), ensure correct earthing kit, use a trusted applicator, and check system build‑up to match the project’s industrial flooring demands.
