A Century of Development in Applied Electrostatics; Nothing Static Here

Although the topic of electrostatics is well known as the earliest of the electrical sciences, it is mainly in the twentieth century that real engineering applications have developed. Today, electrostatic processes are the basis of many important industries in fields as diverse as air pollution control, printing and copying, painting, material's separation and even sandpaper manufacture. Worldwide these applications account for many billions of dollars in annual business. In this paper the meaning of the term electrostatics is discussed and the fundamental properties that lead to these applications reviewed. The important advancements of the past century are highlighted by describing the development of three key processes; electrostatic precipitation, electrostatic painting and coating, and electrophotography. The continuing evolution of the field is put in context by summarizing the fundamental properties of the electrostatic forces and new applications in the fields of MEMS, biotechnology and nanotechnology are suggested.