An automated test of tribocharging for automotive seating fabric

We report on a collaborative effort to develop a reliable and repeatable method to measure tribocharging on automotive seating fabrics. We describe our automated apparatus and our procedure for tribocharging fabric samples. This includes discussion of the test parameters and the relationship between the measured field and charge. We show initial results for the field and charge using different fabrics and rubbing materials. These demonstrate the ability of our method to discriminate among fabrics of different propensity to charge. We also show how our test identifies a product that reduces static build-up. The test is expected to become a standard for automotive seating fabric.