Fiber element containing tin oxide heteropolycondensates with enhanced electrical conductivity

A film comprising a substrate susceptible to degradation at a temperature of 400.degree. C. having a transparent antistatic layer thereon comprising a sol-gel process derived heteropolycondensate having tin oxide and boron oxide in a three dimensional metal oxide network, in which tin oxide and boron oxide moieties are bonded together by bridging oxygens, and the boron oxide content is from about one to about thirty mole percent, said heteropolycondensate being further characterized by a process comprising subjecting a mixture of a hydrolyzable tin compound and a hydrolyzable boron compound, wherein the boron compound is in an amount of from about one to about thirty mole percent, to hydrolysis/condensation in an organic solvent using a stoichiometric or substantially stoichiometric amount of water, thereby forming a solution of said heteropolycondensate;

• and subsequently applying said solution of said condensate to said substrate, and removing the solvent at a temperature of from about 50.degree. C. to about 150.degree. C. to form said transparent antistatic layer of said heteropolycondensate on said substrate without subjecting said antistatic layer to temperatures exceeding about 400.degree. C. in said process;
• said film being characterized by having a reduced resistivity conferred by said transparent antistatic layer formed at said temperature.