To a greater or lesser extent all contact between objects, every separation of one item from another, each sliding of one thing on another, causes a disturbance of electrical charge. When charge disturbance take place faster than charge redistribution, static charge accumulates. ESD occurs where charges of different electrostatic potentials meet. The flow of electrons is usually sudden and releases energy that can damage electrostatic sensitive devices (ESDS).

To protect ESDS from the unwanted effects of ESD, two key measures must be taken and applied at all times:

ESDS must be handled exclusively in an ESD protected area (EPA) where electrostatic potential differences are minimised. ESDS must be transported from one EPA to another only in shielding packages. ALKON is ideally suited packaging for ESDS and because of its static dissipative skin and buried conductive core, it is an ESD shielding material suitable for use in ESD protected areas (EPA).