Spray Painting

Peta-Gay Bugam, Britany

Brown, Stephanie
Thompson

What is Static Electricity?

Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material. The
charge remains until it is able to move away by means of an electric current or electrical
discharge. Static electricity is named in contrast with current electricity, which flows through
wires or other conductors and transmits energy.
A static electric charge is created whenever two surfaces contact and separate, and at least one of
the surfaces has a high resistance to electric current and is therefore an electrical insulator. The
phenomenon of a static electricity, an electrostatic discharge is caused by the neutralization of
charge.
Static Electricity is used for:
Spray painting
Xerography
Method of reducing pollution- smokestacks

How does static electricity

works on spray painting?
The paint is electrostatically charged by charging the
paint in the reservoir or applying the charge in the
barrel of the spray painter gun via a small electrode
that creates high voltage energy. The surface that is
to be painted is grounded and positively charged so that the paint will be attracted to it. Paint
over sprayed may initially travel in a different direction but will turn back to the positive object.
The smaller the particle mass the greater the attraction. Also, the slower the particle, the greater
the effect of the paint charges.
The paint particles repel each other as they have the same charge this helps to get rid of even
distribution. The object to be sprayed tends to be metal but non-metal can be sprayed though they
may need a metal object behind it and this object has to be sprayed with a conductive primer. If
the object isnt grounded the paint becomes patchy as there will be areas with a negative charge
on the object. Thus, the paint will be repelled so the areas with the negative charge will miss out
on some about of the paint. Also the paint will search for the nearest ground which is of ten times
the painter.

Dangers associated with static electricity and spray

painting:
It is dangerous when there are flammable gases or high concentration of oxygen. A spark
could ignite the gases and gases explosion.

it is dangerous when you touch something with a large electric charge on it. The charge
will flow through your body causing an electric shock.

Works Cited
About us: Pysics and the environment. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2015, from
http://www.bbc.co.uk
About us: Uses of Static Electricity. (2014, January 12). Retrieved September 24,
2015, from http://www.schoolforchampion.com
Muncaster, R. (1993). A-Level Physics. Nelson Thornes LTD.