Triboelectric charging, also known as triboelectric effect, is a type of contact electrification in which certain materials become electrically charged after they come into contact with each other and then separate. This phenomenon is based on the transfer of electrons between the two materials due to differences in their electron affinities.

When two materials with different tendencies to gain or lose electrons come into contact and then separate, one material may become positively charged, and the other negatively charged. The extent and direction of the triboelectric charging depend on the specific materials involved and their positions in the triboelectric series, which ranks materials based on their tendency to gain or lose electrons.

For example, rubbing a plastic comb through your hair can lead to the triboelectric charging of the comb, making it negatively charged. Similarly, rubbing a balloon against a wool sweater can transfer electrons, causing the balloon to become negatively charged and the sweater positively charged.

Triboelectric charging has various practical applications, such as in the development of static electricity, certain types of sensors, and technologies like triboelectric nanogenerators that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

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