Thanks everybody for your help, much appreciated.
As you have already guessed I am a complete novice when it comes to electricity and anything more than basic physics; it's been over 20 years since I studied my highers at school so I am a little out of practice but have started looking into a...
Thanks to everyone for their quick responses.
Bobbywhy - could you change the AC to DC with a transformer and make it work?
Judgeking - are you suggesting that if you created an electromagnet the magnetic field could create static on the adjacent surface?
DrZoidberg - I will give that a...
Is it possible to use an electrical current (from mains electricity) to create static electricity on a conductive surface (that is not earthed) without the two coming into direct contact? See attached image.