Triboelectric effect
| Triboelectric series: |
| Most positively charged |
| + |
| Polyurethane foam |
| Hair, oily skin |
| Nylon, dry skin |
| Glass |
| Acrylic, Lucite |
| Leather |
| Rabbit's fur |
| Quartz |
| Mica |
| Lead |
| Cat's fur |
| Silk |
| Aluminium |
| Paper (Small positive charge) |
| Cotton |
| Wool (No charge) |
| 0 |
| Steel (No charge) |
| Wood (Small negative charge) |
| Amber |
| Sealing wax |
| Polystyrene |
| Rubber balloon |
| Resins |
| Hard rubber |
| Nickel, Copper |
| Sulfur |
| Brass, Silver |
| Gold, Platinum |
| Acetate, Rayon |
| Synthetic rubber |
| Polyester |
| Styrene and polystyrene |
| Orlon |
| Plastic wrap |
| Polyethylene (like Scotch tape) |
| Polypropylene |
| Vinyl (PVC) |
| Silicon |
| Teflon |
| Silicone rubber |
| Ebonite |
| − |
| Most negatively charged |
The triboelectric effect (also known as triboelectric charging) is a type of contact electrification in which certain materials become electrically charged after they come into frictional contact with a different material. Rubbing glass with fur, or a plastic comb through the hair, can build up triboelectricity. Most everyday static electricity is triboelectric. The polarity and strength of the charges produced differ according to the materials, surface roughness, temperature, strain, and other properties.
The triboelectric effect is not very predictable, and only broad generalizations can be made. Amber, for example, can acquire an electric charge by contact and separation (or friction) with a material like wool. This property was first recorded by Thales of Miletus. The word "electricity" is derived from William Gilbert's initial coinage, "electra", which originates in the Greek word for amber, ēlektron. The prefix tribo- (Greek for ‘rub’) refers to ‘friction’, as in tribology. Other examples of materials that can acquire a significant charge when rubbed together include glass rubbed with silk, and hard rubber rubbed with fur.
The triboelectric effect is now considered to be related to the phenomenon of adhesion, where two materials composed of different molecules tend to stick together because of attraction between the different molecules. While adhesion is not a chemical bond between atoms, there is an exchange of electrons between the different types of molecules, resulting in an electrostatic attraction between the molecules that holds them together. Physical separation of materials that are adhered together results in friction between the materials. Because the electron transfer between molecules in the different materials is not immediately reversible, the excess electrons in one type of molecule remain left behind, while a deficit of electrons occurs in the other. Thus, a material can develop a positive or negative charge (see also static electricity) that dissipates after the materials separate.
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Wikipedia