Contact charge accumulation and separation discharge

The cumulative triboelectrification of solids by repeated contact and separation is not completely understood. For nominally identical contact, the transferred charge often requires multiple cycles to saturate, and in some cases does not saturate at all. Several explanations have been proposed for this behaviour, but quantitative validation is complicated by the potentially dominant role of separation discharge. This paper presents a new method for controlling or suppressing the discharge, without affecting the initial transferred charge. The phenomenon of separation discharge is described, and its effect on charge accumulation speculated upon. The proposed charge measurement technique is then discussed quantitatively. Lastly, the design and construction of a prototype experimental apparatus are described.