Antistatic Paint with Silent Discharge

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Long term Objectives: Proposed is an anti-static paint which can be used to alleviate danger from fires and explosions that are initiated by static discharge. The innovation for the proposed paint lies in its discharge mechanism which doesn't require grounding or hydration like other products that are currently on the market. Paint can be sprayed onto surfaces of clothing or equipment resulting in a lower capacitance or ability to build up charge on the material. Research Design: A series of formulations will be synthesized and tested on both metallic and plastic substrates. Relevance to Public Health: Development of the antistatic paint will lead to immediate safety improvements for persons that work with volatile solvents in the fuel, coatings, and plastic industries as well as emergency responders in haz-mat situations. The paint could be useful for protecting the general public from electrostatic initiated explosions at the gas-pump or from uncomfortable static shock. In addition, this paint could lead to substantial savings in the electronics industry, where electrostatic discharge (ESD) events cost millions of dollars each year, due to lost products.