Carbon Foam for CREST Combat

The Army has a need to identify, develop, test, and validate an electromagnetic interference (EMI) suppression technology and associated implementation processes that, when applied to U.S. Army combat helicopter avionics equipment modifications or upgrades, eliminate or drastically reduce the need to re-conduct electromagnetic/electronic environmental effects (E3) testing. This effort will identify and develop EMI performance and cost enhancements through the analysis, design, and demonstrations of an advanced EMI material. EMI, structural and thermal management properties will be evaluated and presented for the highest payoff, near-term insertion of advanced EMI technologies into desired system requirements of the Army. Touchstone Research Laboratory has a carbon foam material called "CFOAMr", which is inexpensive, lightweight, easily machined, and fire- and corrosion-resistant. Once carbonized to greater than 1000C, CFOAM is a natural EMI shield, capable of 60dB effectiveness in the 20M Hz to 18G Hz frequency range and can provide structures or enclosures for a broad application of avionics EMI suppression systems.