Real Resistance Readings on ESD Rubber Mats, PVC Floors and Casters: PRIMEAG Test Results and the 2 Meters to Use

Written by the PRIMEAG engineering team. Measured 10/2026.

“Anti-static mat” and “anti-static floor” are used very loosely. In practice a mat or floor only counts as ESD when its resistance falls in a specific range, measured by a specific method. This article presents real readings PRIMEAG took on mats, floors and casters before delivery, compared against ANSI/ESD S20.20 and IEC 61340-5-1, and how to choose a meter.

1. Reference ranges used for evaluation

The results below are compared against the ANSI/ESD ranges: dissipative materials 10⁴ – < 10¹¹ Ω (ANSI/ESD S541); worktops, mats, floors, casters and chairs to ground < 1 × 10⁹ Ω; for worktops and mats, buy the 10⁶ – 10⁹ Ω grade. For the full table by item, test frequency and how to write the report, see ESD resistance testing for incoming acceptance.

Measure at 10 V below 10⁶ Ω and at 100 V from 10⁶ Ω upward; 5 lb (2.27 kg) electrodes, clean sample surface, and record humidity and temperature, because resistance rises sharply in dry air.

2. Real readings on PRIMEAG stock

LED-type surface resistance meter on a green ESD rubber mat roll, LEDs lit in the 10^7-10^8 ohm band
Green 2 mm rubber mat, top surface: LEDs in the dissipative 10⁷–10⁸ Ω/sq band
LED-type meter on a green ESD rubber mat, LEDs lit in the 10^6-10^7 ohm band
Second roll from the same lot: 10⁶–10⁷ Ω/sq — still dissipative
TR1800 meter with two 5 lb electrodes on the black side of an ESD rubber mat, result 8.90 x 10^3 ohm
Black (bottom) layer of the rubber mat: 8.90 × 10³ Ω – 60.9 %RH – 28.5 °C → conductive, as a grounding layer should be
TR1800 meter on a grey 600x600 ESD PVC floor tile, result 4.03 x 10^5 ohm
600×600 ESD PVC floor tile: 4.03 × 10⁵ Ω – 86.2 %RH – 29.3 °C → dissipative, far below the 10⁹ Ω limit (high humidity gives lower readings than in the dry season)
SampleResultRangeVerdict
Green rubber mat – top surface10⁶ – 10⁸ Ω/sqDissipativePass for workbench tops
Rubber mat – black bottom layer8.90 × 10³ ΩConductivePass; grounded via 10 mm snap
600×600 ESD PVC floor tile4.03 × 10⁵ Ω (86 %RH)DissipativePass STM7.1; needs conductive adhesive + copper grid so the whole floor reads < 10⁹ Ω
5-inch turquoise PU caster (labelled “ESD”)4.3 – 8.1 × 10⁹ Ω (10 V)Above the 10⁹ Ω limitFail for ESD trolleys – this lot is not shipped as ESD; see the caster test

3. Two types of meter and when to use each

BFN TR1800 surface resistance meter kit in its case: main unit, two yellow 5 lb electrodes, test leads and manual
TR1800 kit: main unit with built-in parallel-bar electrode, two external 5 lb electrodes, ground lead, protective case
  • LED meter (“ohms per square” type): 10 LEDs from 10³ to 10¹², showing only which range the material falls into. Fast and cheap — good for quick checks at goods-in or periodic checks on the line. Accuracy about half a decade; no recorded values.
  • TR1800 digital meter (megohmmeter): shows an actual value (e.g. 4.03 e05), two test voltages 10 V / 100 V, measures both surface resistance (Ω/sq, built-in electrode per STM11.11) and point-to-point / point-to-ground resistance (Ω, 5 lb electrodes per S4.1, STM7.1), and displays %RH and °C. This is the instrument for acceptance reports and audit answers.

PRIMEAG uses the LED meter to screen incoming goods and the TR1800 to measure and report values with every lot of ESD mats, floors, casters, bins and trays. Any lot that fails (like the caster lot above) is not shipped as ESD. If your factory has no meter yet, we can test on site at handover.

PRIMEAG CO., LTD – Room 10, Mezzanine, Dai Thanh Binh Building, 911-913-915-917 Nguyen Trai St., Cho Lon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Email: info@primeag.vn · Tel/Zalo: +84 906 108 292

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