The triboelectric effect is a type of contact electrification in which certain materials become electrically charged after they come into contact with another different material and are then separated (such as through rubbing). The polarity and strength of the charges produced differ according to the materials, surface roughness, temperature, strain, and other properties.

Thus, it is not very predictable, and only broad generalizations can be made. Amber, for example, can acquire an electric charge by contact and separation (respectively friction) with a material like wool. This property, first recorded by Thales of Miletus, suggested the word "electricity", from the Greek word for amber, ēlektron. Other examples of materials that can acquire a significant charge when rubbed together include glass rubbed with silk, and hard rubber rubbed with fur.

Materials are often listed in order of the polarity of charge separation when they are touched with another object. A material towards the bottom of the series, when touched to a material near the top of the series, will attain a more negative charge, and vice versa. The further away two materials are from each other on the series, the greater the charge transferred. Materials near to each other on the series may not exchange any charge, or may exchange the opposite of what is implied by the list. This depends more on the presence of rubbing, the presence of contaminants or oxides, or upon properties other than the type of material. Lists vary somewhat as to the exact order of some materials, since the charge also varies for nearby materials.

Although the word comes from the Greek for "rubbing", tribos, the two materials only need to come into contact and then separate for electrons to be exchanged. After coming into contact, a chemical bond is formed between some parts of the two surfaces, called adhesion, and charges move from one material to the other to equalize their electrochemical potential. This is what creates the net charge imbalance between the objects. When separated, some of the bonded atoms have a tendency to keep extra electrons, and some a tendency to give them away, though the imbalance will be partially destroyed by tunneling or electrical breakdown (usually corona discharge). In addition, some materials may exchange ions of differing mobility, or exchange charged fragments of larger molecules.

The triboelectric effect is only related to friction because they both involve adhesion. However, the effect is greatly enhanced by rubbing the materials together, as they touch and separate many times. For surfaces with differing geometry, rubbing may also lead to heating of protrusions, causing pyroelectric charge separation which may add to the existing contact electrification, or which may oppose the existing polarity. Surface nano-effects are not well understood, and the atomic force microscope has made sudden progress possible in this field of physics.

Because the surface of the material is now electrically charged, either negatively or positively, any contact with an uncharged conductive object or with an object having substantially different charge may cause an electrical discharge of the built-up static electricity; a spark. A person simply walking across a carpet may build up a charge of many volts, enough to cause a spark one centimeter long or more. This type of discharge is usually harmless because the energy ((V² * C)/2) of the spark is very small, being typically several tens of micro Joules in cold dry weather, and much less than that in damp conditions.

The effect is of considerable industrial importance both in terms of safety and also potential damage to manufactured goods. The spark produced is fully able to ignite flammable vapours, for example, petrol or ether fumes. Means have to be found to discharge carts which may carry such liquids in hospitals. Even where only a small charge is produced, this can result in dust particles being attracted to the rubbed surface. In the case of textile manufacture this can lead to a permanent grimy mark where the cloth has been charged. Some electronic devices, most notably MOSFETs, can be accidentally destroyed by high-voltage static discharge. Such components are usually stored in a conductive foam for protection. Grounding self by touching the workbench, others, or using a special bracelet or anklet is standard practice while handling unconnected integrated circuits.

• Antistatic agent
• Capacitor
• Contact electrification
• Dipole moment
• Dust explosion
• Electric charge
• Electric dipole
• Electrical generator
• Electrical phenomena
• Electronegativity
• Electrophorus
• Lightning
• Static electricity

• Allen, Ryne, C, Triboelectric Generation: Getting Charged [1][2]
• Besançon, Robert M. (1985). The Encyclopedia of Physics, Third Edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. ISBN 0-442-25778-3.
• Harvard University Background of the Triboelectris Effect

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Patents

• U.S. patent 3,086,131 — Earle W. Ballentine — "Triboeletric Generator"
• U.S. patent 4,990,813 — Gabriel L. Paramo — "Rolling triboelectric generator"

General

• "Millennium Product — the Tribopen" Wolfson Electrostatics.
• "Charged Rod Demonstration" University of Minnesota, Crookston