ABSTRACT: Any time two materials, especially dissimilar materials, contact and separate, triboelectric charging occurs and when the surfaces are bonded together, as with adhesives, the intimacy of contact is increased.

This will substantially increase the amount of tribocharging when these surfaces are separated and may result in many hundreds or thousands of volts being generated. The use of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protective tapes and adhesives protects electronic devices and systems by preventing the accumulation of triboelectric or frictionally generated charges. This is accomplished by providing a safe discharge path across the surface of the tape and the adhesive.

This document defines the minimum generic electrostatic, mechanical, and chemical requirements a tape with or without adhesive backing shall embody to be considered for use in the telecommunications environment.