NEW GASKET CONCEPTS USING CONDUCTIVE COMPOSITE MATERIALS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PHASE I RESEARCH IS TO IDENTIFY LOW COST, CORROSION RESISTANT GASKET CONCEPTS AND COMPOSITE MATERIALS WHICH CAN BE USED TO HARDEN THE DOOR SEALS OF A SHELTER AGAINST EMI/EMP THREATS. THE GASKET PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED BY THE ARMY ARE STRINGENT, BUT WITH THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS AND FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS, SUCH REQUIREMENTS CAN BE MET. THE RESEARCH PROPOSED HEREIN IDENTIFIES A NUMBER OF NEW GASKET CONCEPTS AND MATERIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR INITIAL EVALUATION AND SCREENING. SEVERAL GASKET CONCEPTS WILL BE SELECTED FOR FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION FOR SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH MIL-STD-907B AND MIL-STD-285 PROCEDURES. BASED UPON THE SHIELDING EFFECTIVENESS (-60 DB AT 100 KHZ MAGNETIC IS THE REQUIREMENT) OF THE GASKET CONCEPT AND ASSOCIATED MATERIALS, CORROSION RESISTANCE, AND OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS COST, EASE-OF-FABRICATION, RESISTANCE TO OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS (HUMIDITY, TEMPERATURE), AND RESISTANCE TO COMPRESSION SET, SEVERAL CANDIDATE GASKET CONCEPTS WILL BE RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT DURING ANY PHASE II WORK.