Work Bench ESD Matting
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- čas přidán 12. 10. 2017
- Someone stole all the shit from Dave's workbench, so we get to see the fading on the ESD matting.
Original Install: • EEVblog #585 - Lab Ben...
Rubber ESD matting from Oritech: www.oritech.com.au/TS_dash_SM... - Věda a technologie
Would be interesting to do an electric comparison between a very dark area and a very new fresh area!!
ElectricBike Yeeeaaah!
Look at about 2:20. Shows it very well.
That will teach you not to clean up anymore. Clutter is King.
All those interesting shapes - it's almost like a diary of what's been happening there!
jix177
I saw a pair of butt cheeks somewhere.
But does it still function electrically?
I love that the scopes have to be turned sideways to fit on the shelf
Looks like a smoker's lungs.
Wow...
Glad my ESD mat is grey ;)
Must be nice to have it cleaned up again though :)
My grandfather told me, "never trust a man with a clean desk". You sir, are apparently trustworthy.
The say a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind... sop what does an empty desk tell us?
Empty desk, empty head. So what do you suggest, a desk full och stuff, all neatly ordered?
It darkened evenly behind the base of the microscope. Don't know how the light shines down from the ceiling, but I would expect a slight shadow there.
Wooowww I remember when you made that first video installing this expensive ESD matt... what a difference!!!
Not sure if it's just UV, give it a try on that 3M Cleanner Anti-static 8001 other guys suggested here.
Years ago when you posted the original ESD mat install, I got online and ordered a blue 3 layer mat from 3M. Quality is top notch. It's been under many types of light and sunlight over the years and hasn't changed color a bit. Highly recommend the 3M if you can get it.
I like how the Oritech page states the material is easy to clean. :)
It's not filthy,just experienced.
Ooh, an old arcade machine! Hopefully a teardown or restoration to come.
3M Cleaner Anti-Static 8001 spray. Used it at work years ago and it works really well.
just recommended the same thing before seeing your post. I don't know whats in it but it will even soften some paints.
Yes we used it to clean other things too. If you used a green scotchbrite pad it would take almost anything off the mat even sharpie markers. We had the same mat for years and it did not wear out either with this type of occasional cleaning.
Leave it dirty. Shows authenticity and a bit of history. Just like Photonicinduction's carpet...
It's the bromide fire retardant, UV causes the discoloring, it's the same issue with the Super Nintendo yellowing, some people use chemicals to restore the color but I think it also requires some scratching so the surface gets eroded each time it's treated.
I just recently got 10m of ESD matting for installing at home, I will probably keep a few offcuts in vacuum and no sunlight to be able to watch my mats colour fade, it often happens so slowly that one hardly notices.
Dave what about using the same stuff to get old electronic Plastics white again? peroxide and oxyclean and a little UV light Maybe?
Adam Lumpkins +1 for this. It looks like the bromide yellowing on old plastics, it could be related since it's only yellowed where it's been exposed to light. Retrobright is the stuff to try.
Hydrogen peroxide might work also.
I thought about this too, but I doubt it would work. Yellowing is caused by stuff like sulphur in the air, but this is probably metal dust and magic smoke; much larger particles. I'd try a non-polar solvent like kerosene or DCM, or maybe a degreaser like sodium tetrachloride. Side note, the peroxide solutions seem to work by using UV light to generate ozone; an ozone generator under a container has the same effect.
I remember when you put that shit down, fresh.
mikeissweet yeah very different now hahaa
And now it looks like a coat of fresh shit!
I can't remember the last time I saw that much of my workbench
I have the same matting at work and my lab is sealed from outside light. It has been subjected to a mix of LED and fluro lighting. The blue has definitely changed colour but I am not seeing the same brown discolouration.
Would not be surprised it it wasn't the sulfur used to vulcanize the rubber base material of the mat reacting with what ever is in the blue surface anti static coating when it hits moisture in the air.
I've found a bit of water and some elbow grease - or possibly with a little bit of dish soap seems to shift the dirt off the gray stuff I have. Might be worth a shot vs solvents and whatnot.
Chemically the main cleaning categories, each with it's main subcategories:
De-greasing ; surfactants, most common is plain soap, with a hydrophilic head and lipophilic tail encapsulates the dirt/oil, many forms with various affinities some with multiple tails or heads. ; saponifiers, these break up fat molecules and basically turn them into soap and glycerin, examples are lye and similar high pH compounds.; solvents, which work simply by dissolving a solid or thick liquid into a similar but thin liquid that can be easily wiped or rinsed away, the main type scale is the polar nature water is very polar and aliphatic hexane is near completely non-polar, ketones and alcohols are between, aromatic rings tend to increase the general solvent strength.
--2--
De-scaling(not too relevant here but soft water aids cleaning) is related to water hardness, these tend to work by changing the ratio of ions(often via acids or salts) or by sequestration via chelating agents, special resins or with certain ions that bind tightly with the unwanted mineral(eg sodium tripolyphosphate (stpp))
--3--
Bleach. which can be considered either whitening/color removal or as a redox reaction. Colorwise the bleach breaks the chromatic groups on molecules, groups which just happen to be sensitive to either oxidation or reduction. As compounds the most common oxidizing bleaches are hypochlorite, peroxide(ships at neutral pH for shelf life works better at other pH), ozone and even UV, each is most effective at certain pH and temp ranges, chemists often use piranha solution to remove organics from glassware(it is a very strong oxidizer made by mixing hydrogen peroxide with sulfuric acid). When you want to go the other way you need a reducing beach but these are less common on the retail side, some acids will act as reducers.
Are you sure the patch under the microscope is the original color? Watching the video where you install the mat, it definitely looks light blue, not turquoise. Either it's a white balance thing, or the color has leached out somehow. Chemical reaction maybe. But in the small workbench video the mats are more turquoise. Hmm...
Have you tried the citrus based cleaners such as orange power? They use D-Limonene, which is a pretty good solvent, which I've found works better for some things that isopropy or methylated spirits don't work well on.
Finally got it cleaned ;)
They actually sell cleaner specifically designed for ESD mats ... 3M makes one, Reztore makes another ... we used to use it at work but i have never actually used them personally
I tried Reztore ESD mat cleaner and it's amazing what stains it removed.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
h2o2 and uv light
Electrolube's anti-static foam cleaner should do the trick, spray it on thick, allow to soak and scrub off with a paper wipe.
Seems like it's got to be something in the air or light exposure. Even between the wall and where you had that tool clamped to the mat. That was stained as heck, and that's not going to be a spot where you touch with your fingers or anything.
Typical work bench- one clear space to do all your work, and the rest to store your projects.
Hi Dave,
I think you have 2 possibilities. 1. You can buy a new ESD matting. 2. You can save time and money and use a steelwool pad like S.O.S Steel Wool Soap Pads or whatever is available. I have cleaned dirty black PVC floors with it and it looks like new.
How long was the warranty for ? Any info from the company ? tjl
I use the same matting. I also laid HD aluminium foil under it too, which I have connected to earth. Personally I don't get a rat's ass about the way it looks. I'm never in the lab to admire the aesthetics.
@eevblog2 if you find a cleaner that works let us know! would you buy these again given this? I remember them being pretty expensive...
Maybe the ESD mat isn't discoloring but rather the original green coloring is simply wearing off revealing the natural color of the composition material of the mat.
3M Cleaner Anti-Static 8001. if that won't clean it then nothing will.
What are the small sound proofing pads for? Is there a video on it?
At least it gives you a reason to leave all sort of crap laying around on the mat :)
It's rust, I have the same mats and the same problem. Moisture in the air slowly rusts the iron in the mat. It gets worse in areas that you clean with water or other chemicals that promote rusting. Areas that are not exposed to the air remain fine. I had some success using vinegar but nothing really solves the issue. I've not tried any rust removal treatments as they are usually very harsh. Perhaps something like WD40 or ACF50 would prevent it from rusting in the first place, or electroplating even.
Pvcu solvent cleaner for window frames might clean that up.
Have you tried a Mr. Clean Magic eraser? Works wonders for me.
Dave, since this is a dissipative rubber, couldn't this be some sort of oxidation? It surely looks like rust, are there any metals on the rubber composition?
So it's basically a monochrome camera film with extremely long exposure time :D
Try some sandpaper or light abrasives maybe? Looks more like surface contamination than something permeated into the material.
I think you've been letting a LOT of magic smoke out.
I wonder if putting some even UV light over it would make it all the "new" color.
Tried warm soapy water to clean the ESD mat?
About the discolouration of the mat--this is assuming it is not soiled but somehow otherwise discoloured (I normally don't spell color this way)--you theorized that it might be from UV radiation. That would be unlikely given that it is indoors. I think it is oxidation. Also given that the mat is probably not (still) soiled, it will probably be damaged if you get too aggressive trying to clean it.
Does it have any effect on mat performance?
Time for Retrobrite!
Ouch! My cheapie ESD pads haven't changed color a bit in years.
Dino Papas I think the PVC stuff holds up better. The rubber matting always tends to go grotty after a while
Hey Steve, glad to see you're still around...hope to see new videos!
Hopefully soon, still working on jobs in the new house so no time at the moment 😯
this will be due to fading rather than dirt
Its UV I think. My mats are the same.
clutter is king, clutter is life
What does the underside look like?
Dave, did you try some metho? And then tried cleaning with it? ;) You can also try some mild abrasive pads like Balbo sponges (or similar). You can get them at hardware stores (bunnings), not sure about woolies etc. Give them a whirl and see you you go.
Not relevant but i feel lucky to catch a glimpse of the Casio fx-991Ex i love this calculator
If it turns out to be UV I would start to worry about those led lights
Oxidation? No idea how esd matting works but would it contain fine metal particles of some kind? Is your matting rusting?
Any chance the heating system in your building is forced hot air, possibly with filters that haven't been cleaned or changed since the Peloponnesian War?
Tried baking soda for cleaning it?
How long will this stay visible.
This seems to be a reaction to light, not necessary UV though. But it reminds me of old computers that turn brown from their original grey, I think you know what I mean (I think it has do to with with bromine?) Someone has found out a way to reverse that effect involving hydrogen peroxide and UV rays or so - maybe this works on that matting as well?
UV Exposure from your high yield Studio Lighting ??!
That’s a real shame about the matting, it makes it look like it’s not been cleaned in years and it’s dirty even though it’s not. It could be UV related but maybe just exposure to the air is causing a reaction. It almost looks like it’s rusted! What’s the mat made out of?
I have the same identical problem with mine (different brand)... No way to get it back to the original shape... What a shame. Is not just uv compromising the color. If you find any working cleaning product, let me know. Cheers
You probably already tried normal dish soap and water, and a gentle brushing action.
That will teach you! Leave the junk on the bench and no one will be the wiser.
To me it really looks like it's the UV exposure.
Weird. Maybe it's oxidizing, instead of UV. I hope Dave gets his shit back when the new mats are down xD
Oxidation of the fire retardant chemical bromine most likely. Hydrogen peroxide and heat + uv (I.e. sunlight) should clear that right up.
I had a mug on my esd mat when I had it installed in front of a window. The part with the mug stayed a bright blue while the parts exposed to the sun turned a darker color. I think it was the UV radiation. the rest of the mat seems ok it was open to air but not much sun. It was an SCS mat which is supposed to be good quality. Thinking if I buy more I will get the black staticide mats
1:34 Dave, more poetry, please.
Why not contact the seller/manufacturer of the mat....?
I wonder if hydrogen peroxide would do the trick here? Like the retrobrite type recipe where they use that with UV light to get rid of yellowing on old PC plastics.
I want an arcade machine.
sand it?
I would try hydrogen peroxide, I presume it is the same process like with Bromite plastics that turn brown after a while.
What if you tried retr0brighting it?
I'd try H2O2 as it works on old equipment damaged by UV
UV damage for sure..$10 says that bench ends up a mess within a month! :P
A month? LOL
i was gonna say a week but didnt wanna lose $10! LOL
An hour.
Hey, it's fared better than AvE's green mat.
Dirtiest where most used... Interesting. Trying using and ESD topper mat, solder flux fume extractor, ESD mat cleaning solution or all three. Flux reside lands everywhere. Also advise using an ESD ioniser from all of the insulators seen near your work area (Like that bottle of water and plastic containers near the most used portion of the bench..
Try washing powder (with phosphates), make solution in some basin and leave math there for day or two.
I've cleaned some crap off my ESD mat with acetone - works but is maybe even too effective! Looks like the top layer almost melts and recovers back to normal when the acetone evaporates. Although, wouldn't do that inside for larger areas.. :)
hi Dave, try baking Soda with water - this should get rid of the dark spots
or even hydrogen peroxide and UV light - but I like my first idea better because of the closed environment.
In the military we would take those outside, throw on some water and scouring powder, and run over them with the floor buffer with the brush attachment.
UV? Why not try to beam UV onto that blue corner and see what would happen?
try magic eraser, and also consider trying creamed hydrogen peroxide, a-la poor man's retr0brite. it seems it's possibly "yellowing" due to the same sort of effect on ABS plastics, hence why it's going to that poo-stain brown. I'd certainly try it on a heavy-traffic area. cover in the cream, place plastic wrap over it, and set a UV light overhead. if anything it'd make for an interesting video.
you should also be testing it to see if the discoloration changes the resistance of the mat.
I just bought a second hand matt and it was black. Magic eraser, water, Simple Green, and about 20mins - brand new.
NO!
Everyone is suggesting this and there's just one problem: these aren't game consoles. This is not ABS. Magic eraser and/or peroxide will destroy the ESD coating on the mat, rendering it useless. Use a proper ESD mat cleaner or don't bother.
It's not a _coating_, but a doping in the material. Coatings rub off, carbon in the rubber never will.
Except the carbon you're talking about is in the conductive black layer of rubber, not the colored, static-dissipative layer on top. Hence why I say to use an actual ESD cleaner from Chemtronics/3M/etc.
Also, yes, you *can* rub or break through the dissipative layer. That's why ESD mats/bags/totes/whatever need periodic replacing--they don't last forever.
Why not get the rated vinyl rubber for 4x more cost
1.8m x 0.75m for $240
Im a gear slut so i have to say several times.. you dont need a jdc.. a hakko is just fine
I hope i dont regret using a study table for my work area..
www.mektronics.com.au/desco-66168-statfree-b2tm-dissipative-dual-layer-vinyl-mat-1-5mm-x-762mm-x-1829mm-dark-blue.html
what about the down side? Maybe just turn it over? :D
Just leave it, until it gets all grey :-)
Oxidation
Should have bought brown matting.
Try sandpaper
He a sandwich shape!