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Shield, Seal, Cool, or Cushion: Selecting Materials for Defense Electronics, Ground Vehicles, and Naval Platforms
Defense electronics on ground vehicles and naval platforms ask four things of their materials at once: shield enclosures against electromagnetic interference, seal them against ingress, move heat out of dense electronics, and cushion everything against vibration and shock. Often a single seam needs two of these together, which is why combined-function gaskets matter here.
This guide walks the families on the defense-electronics, ground-vehicle, and naval page, from conductive elastomers and EPDM to graphite, boron-nitride pads, PORON, and UHMW, matched to the job each does best.
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Shield, seal, cool, or cushion: four jobs across one rugged platform
Defense electronics on ground vehicles and naval platforms ask four things of their materials at once: shield enclosures against electromagnetic interference, seal them against weather and ingress, move heat out of dense electronics, and cushion everything against vibration and shock. Frequently a single seam needs two of these at once, which is why combined-function gaskets matter so much here.
H-O Products converts the materials for each job to your drawing; platform design and qualification belong to your program. The families below are grouped by the four jobs.
EMI shielding: conductive elastomers and tapes
Electromagnetic shielding at an enclosure seam comes from a conductive gasket that bridges the lid to the housing electrically. Conductive elastomer gaskets, including silver-based and corrosion-resistant conductive silicone grades and corrosion-resistant conductive silicone for marine exposure, are commonly evaluated to MIL-DTL-83528 and provide shielding plus an environmental seal in one part. Conductive silicone sponge suits low-closure-force seams, and conductive foil tapes bond and bridge across joints and shields.
Environmental sealing: elastomeric foams and sponges
Where the seam is a weather seal rather than a shield, the elastomeric families do the work. EPDM foam resists weather, ozone, and water for outdoor and topside duty; neoprene foam and the SCE neoprene series cushion and seal; closed-cell silicone sponge holds a wide temperature range; and rebonded neoprene gives economical thick cushioning, all with mechanical data per ASTM D1056.
Fire and low-smoke duty: below-deck and occupied compartments
Occupied and below-deck spaces add fire and smoke requirements. The low-smoke, low-flame, low-toxicity grades address those compartments directly, flame-resistant V-0 silicone sponge carries documented fire behavior with smoke data commonly per ASTM E662, and closed-cell silicone foam (BISCO HT/BF series) covers high-temperature sealing.
Thermal and cushioning: vetronics and ruggedization
Vetronics power electronics need a thermal path, so graphite spreaders, eGRAF graphite, and boron-nitride Sil-Pad insulating pads and Gap-Pad fillers move heat to the chassis, with data per ASTM D5470. For vibration and wear, PORON microcellular urethane cushions connector panels and UHMW wear strip protects sliding interfaces.
Platform Families by the Job They Do Best
| Family | Best job | Why it is chosen | Data on TDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conductive silicone | Shield + seal | Bridges the seam electrically and seals it; corrosion-resistant grades for marine | Commonly evaluated to MIL-DTL-83528 |
| EPDM / neoprene | Environmental seal | Weather, ozone, and water resistance; cushion and seal | ASTM D1056 |
| Low smoke / flame / tox | Occupied / below-deck | Documented fire and smoke behavior for crewed spaces | ASTM E662 smoke; UL 94 class |
| Graphite / Sil-Pad | Thermal path | Spreads or bridges heat to chassis for vetronics | ASTM D5470 thermal impedance |
| PORON / UHMW | Cushion / wear | Vibration cushioning; sliding-wear protection | ASTM D3574; wear designations |
Illustrative and relative only; confirm each grade on its current technical data sheet. Job assignments describe common usage, not qualification or platform design.
How do marine exposure and occupied compartments reshape the list?
Two environments narrow the choice fast. On naval topside and exposed platforms, salt and moisture attack both the seal and the conductive-gasket-to-metal interface, so corrosion-resistant conductive grades and weather-stable elastomers move to the front, with salt-fog behavior commonly evaluated to ASTM B117. In occupied and below-deck compartments, low-smoke and low-toxicity requirements filter the candidates regardless of mechanical fit.
The practical order is to name the platform and the compartment first, filter for the corrosion and fire requirements, and only then compare shielding, sealing, or thermal performance among the survivors.
How H-O Products helps
H-O Products die-cuts, waterjet-cuts, laminates, and kits the families above to your drawing in Winsted, Connecticut; we do not manufacture the elastomers, graphite, or films in-house. We die-cut conductive and environmental gaskets with adhesive backings, cut graphite and gap-filler thermal parts to footprint, and kit gasket and shielding sets, including retrofit and depot sets, to work orders, all under our ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system with lot-coded traceability and the maker's TDS on the order.
Frequently asked questions
What gasket material shields and seals a C4ISR enclosure seam at once?
A conductive elastomer gasket: a silver-based or corrosion-resistant conductive silicone that bridges the lid to the housing electrically while sealing the seam against the environment. These are commonly evaluated to MIL-DTL-83528 and let one part do two jobs, which saves a stack-up of separate shield and seal gaskets. We die-cut them to your seam with the right backing; the EMI qualification belongs to your program.
Are these materials IP67 rated?
An IP rating under IEC 60529 describes a sealed enclosure, not a gasket material in isolation, so no raw material is itself IP67. We supply sealing materials commonly used to help an enclosure reach a target ingress class, but the rating is established by testing the finished enclosure. H-O makes no IP-rating determination; we convert the seal to your drawing and supply the maker's data.
Which EMI gasket survives salt fog on naval platforms?
Corrosion-resistant conductive silicone grades are formulated for marine exposure, where salt and moisture would otherwise attack the conductive-gasket-to-metal interface; salt-fog behavior is commonly evaluated to ASTM B117. Pair the corrosion-resistant grade with a compatible housing finish, since galvanic compatibility at the joint matters as much as the gasket. We convert the grade to your seam; the corrosion judgment is your program's.
What materials carry FST data for below-deck and occupied compartments?
The low-smoke, low-flame, low-toxicity grades address occupied and below-deck spaces directly, and flame-resistant V-0 silicone sponge carries documented fire behavior with smoke data commonly per ASTM E662. Tell us the compartment and any smoke or toxicity requirement your program layers on, and we will steer toward grades that carry the documentation on their TDS.
Does H-O design or integrate weapons systems?
No. H-O Products is a materials converter. We die-cut, waterjet, laminate, and kit shielding, sealing, thermal, and cushioning materials to your drawing and supply the maker's published data; we do not design, integrate, analyze, or test platforms or weapons systems. Program design, integration, and certification remain entirely with you.
Get a platform material recommendation
Tell us the job (shield, seal, thermal, or cushion), the platform and compartment (ground, topside, below-deck), the environment, and the seam or component geometry, and we will recommend a family and quote converted parts.
Samples typically ship in 3 to 5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand; standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval; expedited service is available. MOQ varies by material and part.
Family-owned in Winsted, Connecticut since 1971 · ISO 9001:2015 certified · OEMs worldwide send us a drawing — and get back their part.
Related reading
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Send H-O your drawing or describe the part—engineering reviews every RFQ and converts samples on your geometry.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
References
- ASTM D1056 (flexible cellular rubber); ASTM D5470 (thermal impedance); ASTM D3574 (flexible cellular urethane); ASTM D2240 (durometer); ASTM E662 (smoke density); ASTM B117 (salt fog); ASTM C1166 (flame propagation of gasket materials); ASTM D149 (dielectric strength).
- MIL-DTL-83528 (conductive elastomer spec); MIL-STD-461 (EMI test methods); MIL-STD-810 (environmental test methods); IEC 60529 (ingress protection); UL 94 (flammability classes). Cited by designation; H-O holds no QPL listing and performs no testing.
- Manufacturer technical data sheets: conductive silicone and corrosion-resistant conductive elastomers, conductive sponge and foil tapes, EPDM and neoprene foam, SCE neoprene, closed-cell silicone sponge and foam, low-smoke / low-flame / low-toxicity grades, V-0 silicone sponge, eGRAF graphite, Sil-Pad and Gap-Pad, PORON urethane, UHMW wear strip.
This article summarizes material-selection principles for defense-electronics, ground-vehicle, and naval platforms using the families and method designations cited on the parent application page. H-O Products supplies converted materials only; we do not design, integrate, or test platforms or weapons systems. Comparisons are qualitative; shielding, sealing, and thermal values are per each grade's current technical data sheet, and no test results are quoted.
MIL-DTL-83528, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-810, IEC 60529, and other designations are named for orientation only; H-O holds no QPL listing or program certification and makes no qualification, IP-rating, or compliance determinations. All parts are custom manufactured to order; minimum production run quantities vary by material and part. H-O is a converter, not a raw-material producer.