Anyone using Butynol rubber roofing membrane as their bench mat?

[kiwibum]

I've search eevblog forums and can't find any references to any one suggesting Butynol rubber roofing membrane as a substitute for anti static matting.

I have seen Butynol recommended on another site and interested to know if anyone here is using it for their bench mat.

I had a small piece to test (5mm x 100mm), the black side is conductive, less than 1M ohm with basic multimeter probes close together, the grey side won't measure anything even with Megger tester at 1000Vdc. My understanding is the membrane is conductive due to the carbon used to make the black colour. The membrane is also very heat resistant to solder temperatures.

It appears it would be suitable as a bench mat, I'm wanting to know how suitable it would be as an anti static bench mat and if anyone here has been able to test that. It is available near me at a local hardware store by the metre where anti static matting is special order at twice the price plus shipping.

[Tarloth]

I'm very interested in your or others experience in anti static matting alternatives.

[kiwibum]

I have no experience with alternatives for anti static matting. I'm getting back into electronics and setting up a new workbench. My last one was just a wooden top and I used an anti static strap. In the 80's when I was doing electronics servicing, mainly TV and Audio, again we just had wooden work benches and static straps. The guy working on computers was the only one with a static mat, mainly because everything was pulled out rather than being able to work on boards in place.

I want to use a mat this time to help protect the bench top from solder burns AND reduce static since this new bench has a melamine top.  I've seen mention of people using Butynol/butyl rubber as an anti static mat, but none of them included any measurements or more useful information other than it was conductive, which it is on one side.

What I want to know, is the grey non-conductive side "dissipative" (I think that is the correct term) for static? My megger measures to 1.2G ohm (1.2 x 10⁹), and set at 1000Vdc there is no measurement on the grey side which I'm assuming this isn't "dissipative" but would like confirmation from someone more familiar with measuring this type of thing.

I'm very interested in your or others experience in anti static matting alternatives.