Carbon Foam Composites for EMI-Shielded Shelters

Touchstone Research Laboratory proposes to investigate use of a CFOAM core in a sandwich panel configuration for an all-composite, low-cost, lightweight, EMI-shielded Rigid Wall Relocatable Structure (RWRS). Carbon foam offers excellent EMI shielding properties due to its high electrical conductivity. An all-composite shelter would eliminate metallic components that are susceptible to environmental and chemical corrosion and their associated maintenance burden, while requiring fewer air-lift resources for transporting and having improved operational characteristics compared to similar metal/composite structures. The Phase I effort will develop a carbon foam composite panel for use in a sandwich panel for application in rigid wall shelters that will meet all critical requirements, develop a requirements test plan and engineer the processes and materials needed to manufacture a shelter to ensure low cost. Phase II will focus on designing, building, and testing a prototype demonstration of a carbon foam composite Rigid Wall Relocatable Structure.