DIY or Homemade ESD control for storage bins

[OiD]

Hi all!
Long story short. I have a bunch of parts bins made from polypropylene plastic and I would like to use them to store components. There are a variety of products that will leave a slightly conductive coating when applied. I live in Spain and I cannot find any of the products (Staticide, TechSpray and a few others that I've already forgotten). I've tried RS-Amidata, Farnell, Digikey, Mouser, eBay, Amazon and smaller sellers... everytime I get to the checkout the item cannot be shipped due to restrictions!
If I do find a seller, they charge way over the normal price.

All I need is a relatively stable, durable and functional way to prevent ESD events with the storage bins. I've been experimenting with graphite/carbon and glue/solvents/fluids with slight succes.

All ideas are welcome!

[tggzzz]

Use grounded metal bins and/or store components in conductive plastic bags.

Anything that is static sensitive shouldn't be stored "in the open air", due to static discharge events occurring after someone has walked over to the bin and as they pick components out of the bin.

[rdl]

You want to store your parts in metalized plastic bags, those are the type that shield. If you buy static sensitive parts, then that's the way they should be shipped to you (assuming the seller has some idea about what they're doing). The clear/pink/blue bags don't shield, just dissipate, which probably doesn't help if you toss them in a plastic container.

[sleemanj]

As with the above, the easiest, cheapest and best way is to use esd bags to put your stuff in, and put the bagged stuff in your drawers.  If you buy (or build) a heat sealer you can easily cut-down larger bags to suit your drawers better.

A spray-on coating will never be very good, and conductive foam is flippin expensive.

[OiD]

I always ground myself before reaching into any sensitive storage areas, a habit I have and gets reinforced at work too. I'd also be making the storage area ESD safe and easy to ground myselft too.

Right now I have everything (well, nearly) in silver ESD bags, I've never seen blue bags used for electronics and I thought the pink ones simply were anti-static, as in they did'nt creat a charge. At work all PCA's are in silver bags inside pink bubblewrap in a box. It's a shame they dont come in conductive cardboard boxes...

I have acces to pink anti-static foam, I use that to store all my transistors/mosfets that are not in bags, not the best but better that styrofoam 

So far my test with graphite/alcohol spray seems to work well on paper, 200k~5MOhms. Trying out some lackers to keep everything in place....

The only product I can find economically is some dissipative floor finish by Staticide at 73€ (provably without VAT and shipping) but it's for floors and I have no idea how plastic could react to it.

Thanks for the replies!

[rdl]

I've seen the static dissipative plastic tinted blue, green, pink, and just plain clear, so I think the coloring is just used as an indicator.

The problem with polyethylene and polypropylene is that nothing much sticks to them. For home use I doubt you'll find any kind of paint that has adequate adhesion.

I've seen antistatic cardboard boxes, they have what looks like black paint on the insides.

[Vgkid]

What about using aluminum foil wrapped around the pink styrofoam to discipate the static.

[cdev]

Why don't you use a small sensor/computer to sniff the humidity, and when it gets really dry, just humidify a little bit.

[Aodhan145]

I covered my bin with antistatic bags. I never had any problems (that im aware of). This is probably the wrong way to do it.

[cdev]

I've seen a specific kind of ion generator made for electronics manufacturing that fills the air with both kinds of ions (Google "balanced ion generator") - Doing that reduces the risk of ESD.

Example: US Patent 4757422

http://www.google.com/patents/US4757422

[OiD]

Yup, not much sticks to PP plastic... I got the conductive paint working nicely but it peels right of! 

So, basically I can forget coating the bins!

I could use kitchen foil, or "sew" conductive thread into them but i'ts not worth the hasle.

Maintaining the humidity within the closed bins would be a challenge.

[helius]

The only static control spray I really know about is Licron Crystal, but as you know it is expensive even in the US. In Europe with hazardous materials charges I can only imagine. One thing that might work DIY is lampblack/carbon black. It is conductive enough, you just need the right binder and carrier to make a dissipative paint from it. I don't have enough experience with paintmaking, but it seems likely that a basic system with an oil binder and naphtha carrier would work when mixed with carbon black.

[rdl]

When I first started in electronics (before I learned to not take static sensitive parts out of the packaging they were shipped in), I bought a sheet of conductive foam to use in the drawers of a parts cabinet. I think it was a 2' x 3' sheet and not real cheap, around $30 I think. The foam is the stiff type, you could hold it horizontal by the edge and it wouldn't bend. The piece in the bottom fits tight, the top one is a little looser and you can stick parts in both sides.