Aerospace & Defense EMI Shielding Gaskets: Conductive Silicones, Fluorosilicones & Shielding Interfaces
H-O Products die-cuts and converts SSP502-series conductive silicones and fluorosilicones, BISCO® EC soft conductive solid and solid, conductive foil tapes, and partner environmental gaskets into EMI shielding gaskets for avionics enclosures, shielded doors and access panels, connector interfaces, and defense electronics across air, ground, and naval platforms, built to your drawing. H-O is a materials converter: EMC qualification and platform certification remain with the equipment integrator.
Built for: LRU lid and cover gaskets, shielded door and access-panel seals, connector and feedthrough gaskets, conductive washers and grounding interfaces, galvanic-aware exterior shielding joints, and combined EMI-environmental sealing in one converted part.
To specify an aerospace EMI gasket, classify the exposure first. For a dry avionics bay, use the SSP502 standard conductive silicone series (nickel-graphite 502-30 / 502-40 / 502-65, tested to MIL-DTL-83528 methods as non-QPL commercial grades), or a QPL-listed MIL-DTL-83528 grade where the drawing calls a type letter: 2569 (Type A), 2368-65 (Type B), 2573-75 (Type C), 2486 (Type D), 2571-85 (Type K), per the maker’s data. Where fuel or hydraulic mist reaches the seal, specify a conductive fluorosilicone. The remaining zones and duties are mapped in the When-to-spec list on this page. Values are per the TDS on file; see the material reference below for ordering details.
MIL-DTL-83528 (conductive elastomer specification and type designations, by designation; QPL status verified at quote) · MIL-STD-461 (EMC requirements for equipment, cited qualitatively) · RTCA DO-160 (environmental and EMC framing for civil avionics, cited qualitatively) · IEEE 299 (shielding-effectiveness measurement methods) · SAE ARP1481 (corrosion control and electrical conductivity in enclosure design, by designation) · MIL-DTL-5541 (chemical conversion coatings on aluminum, by designation) · ASTM D991 (volume resistivity of conductive rubber) · UL 94 (flammability listings per TDS) · vendor TDS for per-grade values.
- Dry-bay LRU lid / cover gasket: SSP502 standard conductive silicone
- Fuel / hydraulic mist at the seal: SSP502 conductive fluorosilicone
- Salt fog / exterior / dissimilar metals: SSP502 corrosion-resistant grades
- V-0 listed conductive gasket: SSP502 flame-retardant V-0
- Low-closure-force cover: BISCO EC-2130 soft conductive solid
- Demanding bond path, solid gasket: QPL-listed MIL-DTL-83528 silver-filled grades 2569 / 2368-65 / 2571-85
- ESD / static-dissipative grounding pad: BISCO EC-2265 solid (5 Ω·cm class; not a shielding gasket)
- Seam overlaps / repairs: Foil shielding tapes (acrylic adhesive, not a bond path)
- Non-shielding secondary seal: kSil V-0 silicone sponge
- Type-designation call-outs: Aligned to MIL-DTL-83528 per maker data; see citations
Where are you in the spec process?
This page serves EMC and packaging engineers who already hold a conductive-elastomer call-out and engineers still mapping exposure, galvanic, and flammability constraints. Pick the path that matches where you are; you don’t have to read the rest.
Send a drawing, get a quote
An SSP502-series conductive silicone or fluorosilicone, a QPL-listed MIL-DTL-83528 Type A / B / C / D / K grade, BISCO EC-2130 soft conductive solid, EC-2265 ESD solid, conductive foil tape, or a MIL-DTL-83528 type designation on your drawing.
Skip to the quote form →Walk through the selection factors
Six selection factors (exposure, galvanic pairing, flammability, closure force, bond path, combined sealing), an environment-driven gasket picker, and eight material families with TDS-cited test methods.
Start with selection factors →
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1Send drawingUpload a DXF, STEP, or PDF, or describe the assembly. A sample part works too.
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2Material reviewEngineering reviews the joint against the vendor TDS: exposure at the seal, mating-surface finish and galvanic pairing, flammability call-out, closure force and groove geometry, and the type designation or shielding data the EMC plan requires.
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3PrototypeSamples typically ship in 3–5 business days for common configurations on materials we keep on hand. Made-to-order; MOQ varies by material and part.
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4ProductionStandard production runs ship about 2 weeks after drawing approval, including kiss-cut-on-liner and laminated configurations. Expedited service available. Ongoing parts run with material traceability and lot-code TDS records.
What are you shielding?
Application Zones
Five distinct material problems hide inside an aerospace shielding architecture: the LRU lids and covers, where most gaskets live and most EMC findings start; the shielded doors and access panels, whose seals cycle for a living; the connector and feedthrough interfaces, where the shield topology terminates; the galvanic-exposed joints, where conductivity and corrosion fight over the same interface; and the defense platforms, ground, naval, airborne, that inherit all of it at higher severity.
Click a tab to see the joint, the constraint, and the material families H-O converts for that zone.
LRU lid, cover & rack-interface gaskets
The lid gasket is the canonical aerospace EMI part: a conductive elastomer frame that closes the seam between cover and housing, electrically bonding the two while keeping the bay’s environment out. The working family is the SSP502 standard conductive silicone series, filled conductive elastomers whose grades align to MIL-DTL-83528 type designations per the maker’s documentation, with shielding-effectiveness and volume-resistivity values on the TDS (IEEE 299-class and ASTM D991 methods).
Two conversion decisions dominate the joint: compression window, the gasket must be captured at the deflection its TDS specifies, set by groove depth and fastener spacing, and coverage continuity, because shielding fails at the corner that lifted, not the span that compressed. H-O and kiss-cuts these gaskets to the fastener pattern, with the corner radii and web widths that survive both assembly and rework.
Shielded doors, hatches & access panels
A shielded door is an EMI gasket with a duty cycle: hundreds or thousands of open-close cycles, latch-force budgets the hinge side never shares with the handle side, and a perimeter long enough that compression set anywhere becomes a slot antenna somewhere.
Material selection follows the mechanics. Conductive solid silicone (EC-2130) buys sealing at low and uneven closure force; solid conductive grades (SSP502 series and the QPL-listed 2569 / 2368-65 / 2571-85) carry firmly latched panels and the most demanding bond paths; and the gasket geometry, kiss-cut segments, scarf joints, molded-corner alternatives coordinated through partners, is engineered to the door, not the roll width.
The EMC requirement the door must meet is framed by the platform’s MIL-STD-461 or DO-160 campaign, cited here qualitatively because the test belongs to the integrator; what the converter controls is the gasket’s compression window, continuity, and recovery, per the TDS data. [2] [10]
Connector, feedthrough & grounding interfaces
Shield topology terminates at the connector plate, and the small parts there decide whether the enclosure’s shielding survives its own wiring: connector-flange gaskets, conductive elastomer frames under every flange, conductive washers at grounding studs, feedthrough-plate gaskets where harnesses penetrate bulkheads, and foil-tape terminations where cable shields land.
The materials are the same conductive elastomer families at smaller scale, which makes converting precision the differentiator: flange gaskets carry fine webs between closely spaced fastener holes, and a torn web at assembly is a shielding defect nobody sees until the EMC chamber finds it.
Volume resistivity per ASTM D991-class methods and per-grade values stay on the TDS; the topology decisions, where the shield terminates, 360-degree vs pigtail, belong to the EMC design. H-O these small parts in production quantities with the web integrity the flange demands. [7] [9]
Galvanic, salt-fog & exterior shielding joints
Every conductive gasket is a deliberate galvanic event: a filled elastomer pressed against a metal flange, by design electrically intimate, by consequence a corrosion couple whenever moisture and dissimilar potentials meet.
Aerospace and naval practice manages the couple rather than pretending it away, and SAE ARP1481 frames the design discipline: filler-and-flange pairing chosen for galvanic compatibility, compatible conversion coatings on the aluminum (the MIL-DTL-5541 class, by designation), drainage and geometry that deny standing electrolyte, and where exposure is severe, the corrosion-resistant SSP502 grades, including fluorosilicone-base variants, whose fillers and base polymers are selected for exactly this duty per the maker’s data.
The honest engineering position: gasket selection is one term in the couple; the finish specification and joint geometry are the others, and they are the platform’s to call. H-O converts the documented grades and keeps lot traceability behind every exterior joint. [5] [6]
Ground, naval & airborne defense electronics
Defense platforms take the same shielding architecture and raise every severity: ground vehicles add dust, wash-down, and brutal vibration; naval installations add permanent salt atmosphere; airborne stores and UAV payloads add mass sensitivity and thermal extremes.
The material logic holds, exposure picks the base polymer, the type designation frames the grade, flammability call-outs gate the list, but the converting emphasis shifts to durability and maintainability: gaskets that survive repeated panel removal in the field, kiss-cut spares kits that travel with the platform, foil-tape repair provisions, and documentation, lot codes, material certs, TDS records, that follows defense supply discipline.
Requirements flow from each platform’s MIL-STD-461-framed EMC plan, cited qualitatively; conversion delivers parts the depot can trust years after the chamber test. Export-control note: this page describes commercial materials and converting services only; program-specific technical data stays with the program. [2] [9]
Six decisions that drive your aerospace EMI gasket spec
A conductive gasket is the most multidisciplinary part on the enclosure drawing: electrical bond, environmental seal, galvanic couple, and mechanical spring in one cross-section. The right spec satisfies six constraints at once, and the EMC chamber finds whichever one was skipped.
Classify the exposure before touching a grade chart. Dry bay, fluid mist, salt fog, or dissimilar metals: the exposure class picks the base polymer and filler system before shielding numbers enter the conversation, because a corroded or swollen gasket shields nothing.
Enclosure shielding is series-connected: the lifted corner, the under-compressed span by the hinge, the torn web at a connector flange sets the whole box’s performance. Compression window, coverage continuity, and converting integrity are therefore EMC parameters, with per-grade data on the maker’s TDS.
Read the six factors below in order. Exposure picks the base polymer, galvanic pairing constrains the filler, flammability gates the list, closure force picks solid versus sponge, the bond path sets the grade, and the combined-seal question decides the converted construction.
Show all 6 selection factors tap to expand
Exposure class at the seal
The four exposure classes sort the SSP502 series cleanly: dry bay, standard conductive silicone economics; fuel / hydraulic mist, conductive fluorosilicone, because a swollen silicone gasket loses both sealing force and bond pressure; salt fog and exterior weather, the corrosion-resistant grades; severe combined exposure, fluorosilicone-base corrosion-resistant variants. Base-polymer behavior against your fluid list is per-grade TDS data. Name the exposure class on the drawing; it is the first filter and the cheapest one to get right. [9]
Galvanic pairing and finish compatibility
Filler metallurgy meets flange metallurgy at every conductive joint, and the couple corrodes wherever electrolyte arrives. The design discipline is framed by SAE ARP1481: pair filler systems and flange finishes for compatibility, specify conversion coatings by designation (MIL-DTL-5541 class on aluminum), deny standing moisture by geometry, and reserve the corrosion-resistant grades for the joints that earn them. The gasket is one term of the couple; the finish call-out on the mating surface is the other, and both belong on the same drawing. [5]
Flammability call-outs gate the list
Aerospace and defense enclosure specifications routinely call a UL 94 V-0 listed material, and the call-out gates the candidate list regardless of shielding arithmetic: the flame-retardant SSP502 grades carry V-0 listings on their TDS, and the listing is per grade and per thickness, verify at your gauge.
Where the environmental partner seal is separate, the non-conductive kSil V-0 family carries the same listing class on its own TDS. State the flammability requirement explicitly; retrofitting it after grade selection re-opens every other decision. [8]
Closure force: solid versus sponge
A conductive gasket only bonds at its specified deflection, and the structure has to deliver the force. Stiff, well-fastened lids load solid grades (SSP502 series, QPL 2569 / 2368-65 / 2571-85) into their windows; doors, large panels, and thin covers cannot, which is what soft conductive solid (EC-2130) exists for: sealing and bonding at low and uneven closure force, with the recovery of an 80 Shore OO solid per the Rogers TDS.
Groove depth, fastener pitch, and latch budget decide this before preference does. Put the closure-force reality on the drawing, and the solid-versus-sponge answer falls out. [10]
Bond path and the type designation
When the EMC plan needs a number, the language is the type designation: MIL-DTL-83528 organizes conductive elastomers by filler system and form, and grades align to those designations per the maker’s documentation, with shielding-effectiveness data (IEEE 299-class methods) and volume resistivity (ASTM D991) per grade on the TDS.
The honest framing: designation alignment and QPL status are verified at quote against the maker’s current paperwork, not assumed from a family name. Cite the designation on the drawing and the data package assembles itself. [1]
One gasket or two: combined EMI-environmental sealing
Every enclosure joint needs both a bond and a weather seal, and the architecture chooses: one conductive gasket doing both jobs, simplest, provided the exposure class and compression window suit it, or a dual-seal design, conductive element inboard, non-conductive environmental seal (kSil V-0) outboard, which protects the galvanic couple from the weather that drives it.
Dual-seal joints are converting work: two materials, one part, kiss-cut or laminated so assembly cannot transpose them. Decide the architecture at spec; it sets groove geometry that is expensive to change later.
Specification Tools
Two tools to take you from “I have an enclosure shielding problem” to here’s what to put on the drawing: an environment-driven gasket picker that maps exposure, flammability, and closure force to a conductive elastomer family, and a side-by-side comparison matrix of every family on this page.
1. Aerospace EMI gasket environment picker
Pick the exposure at the seal, the flammability call-out, and the closure-force reality. The picker returns a conductive elastomer family with the reasoning and the galvanic note where it applies. Qualitative, per the H-O application research and the maker TDS; designation alignment and QPL status verify at quote.
Pick an exposure, a flammability call-out, and a closure-force reality
The result returns a conductive elastomer family, the reasoning, and the galvanic or dual-seal note where it applies, each linked to its entry in the material reference below.
2. Side-by-side: aerospace EMI gasket material matrix
Every material family called out on this page, with its construction, flammability data as reported on its TDS, and the joint it fits. Click a column header to sort. Click any material name to jump to its accordion entry and full TDS reference.
| Material | Construction | Flame / FST data (TDS) | Key test methods | Form factor | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conductive elastomers (SSP502 series) | ||||||
| SSP502 Standard Conductive Silicone502-30 / 502-40 / 502-65 nickel-graphite; QPL 2569 / 2368-65 / 2573-75 / 2486 / 2571-85 | Filled conductive silicone | Per maker TDS | MIL-DTL-83528 framing; D991 | Dry-bay lids & covers | ||
| SSP502 Flame-Retardant V-0V-0 listed conductive grades | Filled conductive silicone | UL 94 V-0 (TDS) | UL 94; maker TDS | Flammability-called joints | ||
| SSP502 Conductive FluorosiliconeFluorosilicone-base conductive | Filled fluorosilicone | Per maker TDS | Maker TDS; D991 | Fuel / fluid mist seals | ||
| SSP502 Corrosion-Resistant2529 / 2551 class | Corrosion-aware filler systems | Per maker TDS | ARP1481 framing; TDS | Salt-fog / galvanic joints | ||
| Conductive solid silicone, solid & tapes | ||||||
| BISCO EC-2130 Conductive Solid Siliconeconductive solid silicone | Conductive solid silicone | Per Rogers TDS | Rogers TDS | Low-closure-force covers | ||
| BISCO EC-2265 ESD SolidCarbon-black static-dissipative silicone | Conductive solid (5 Ω·cm class) | Per Rogers TDS; no SE value published | Rogers TDS | Demanding bond paths | ||
| Conductive Foil TapesFoil tape systems | Metal foil + conductive adhesive | Per tape TDS | Per tape TDS | Terminations & repairs | ||
| Environmental partner seals | ||||||
| kSil V-0 Silicone SpongeSuper-soft to firm ladder | Non-conductive closed-cell sponge | UL 94 V-0 (TDS) | ASTM D1056, UL 94 | Dual-seal outboard element | ||
Skip ahead and request your engineering review now
If your drawing already calls out an SSP502-series grade, a BISCO EC material, a conductive foil tape, or a MIL-DTL-83528 type designation, send it over for engineering review.
Aerospace EMI gasket failures you can prevent at spec
Shielding failures rarely show at the chamber. The box passes its EMC campaign, ships, and serves. Then the field accumulates cycles and chemistry: a gasket swells in fuel mist, a galvanic couple blooms under a wing-root panel, a door seal takes a set and a slot antenna opens along the hinge. Five patterns cover most of what fails in this zone, and each one is a specification decision made before the chamber ever sees the box.
The chamber tests the gasket you specified; the field tests the one you neglected. Exposure class, galvanic pairing, and compression reality are field variables, and every one of them is settable on the drawing for the price of a line of text.
Show all 5 failure modes tap to expand
1. A standard conductive silicone swells in the mist path
A lid gasket that passed EMC beautifully sits in the spray shadow of a hydraulic fitting. Months of mist exposure swell and soften the silicone base; sealing force drops, bond pressure follows, and the box that was quiet at qualification starts failing radiated-emissions margins in service. The fix: classify the exposure at every shielded joint and move mist-path gaskets to the conductive fluorosilicone variants, whose base polymer holds in exactly that chemistry, per the maker’s TDS. [9]
2. Galvanic corrosion blooms under an exterior shielded panel
A conductive gasket meets a bare-aluminum flange on an exterior panel; salt-laden moisture arrives, the couple does its electrochemistry, and within a maintenance cycle the flange is blooming white and the bond path is an insulator. The fix: design the couple per the SAE ARP1481 framing: corrosion-resistant grade selection, compatible conversion coating on the flange (MIL-DTL-5541 class by designation), drainage geometry, and where exposure is severe, a dual-seal architecture that keeps weather off the conductive element. [5]
3. A door gasket takes a set and the hinge line starts leaking RF
A shielded door seals perfectly at delivery. Two years of open-close cycles later the gasket has taken compression set along the hinge side, where closure force was always lowest, and the seam radiates. The fix: match the material to the door’s force map: the extremely soft conductive solid (EC-2130, 80 Shore OO) where force is low and uneven, solid grades where latches deliver, and compression-set behavior per the TDS treated as a primary selection property for anything that cycles. State open-close frequency on the drawing. [10]
4. A fine-web connector gasket tears at assembly and nobody sees it
A connector-flange gasket with thin webs between fastener holes tears during installation; the assembler seats it anyway. The box passes continuity checks, ships, and fails its next EMC scan at exactly that connector. The fix: treat web geometry as a converting specification: minimum web widths matched to the material’s tear behavior, kiss-cut-on-liner delivery that survives handling, and incoming inspection on webs, not just outlines. Small conductive parts are shielding-critical parts. [7]
5. A V-0 call-out surfaces after the grade was frozen
The shielding grade was selected on electrical merit alone; the flammability review later calls for a UL 94 V-0 listed material, and the late substitution re-opens compression, galvanic, and groove decisions that were already tooled. The fix: run the flammability call-out as a gate at the start: the flame-retardant SSP502 grades carry V-0 listings on their TDS, the listing is per grade and thickness, and a spec that starts with the gate never pays the retrofit. [8]
Material reference
Detailed reference for the eight material families on this page: the SSP502 conductive elastomer series (standard silicone, flame-retardant V-0, conductive fluorosilicone, corrosion-resistant grades), the BISCO EC conductive set (EC-2130 sponge, EC-2265 ESD solid), conductive foil tapes, and the environmental partner gasket (kSil KSV001–KSV006 V-0 sponge).
Shielding effectiveness is reported per IEEE 299-class methods and volume resistivity per ASTM D991 on the maker TDS; MIL-DTL-83528 type-designation alignment and QPL status verify at quote against the maker’s current documentation.
H-O and kiss-cuts all of them to drawing; per-grade values are per the TDS on file, not headline numbers.
SSP502 Standard Conductive Silicone (nickel-graphite series) + MIL-DTL-83528 QPL GradesDry-bay lids & covers · QPL Type A / B / C / D / K grades in the catalog · SE per TDS
Specify by exposure first and designation second: the standard series carries the dry-bay economics, and the V-0, fluorosilicone, and corrosion-resistant variants below take over when the exposure or call-out demands. Per-grade values per the maker TDS on file.
SSP502 Flame-Retardant V-0 Conductive GradesFlammability-called joints · UL 94 V-0 per TDS · conductive silicone base
The V-0 listing is per grade and per thickness: verify at your gauge during drawing review, and run the flammability gate before grade selection rather than after tooling. Values per the maker TDS on file.
SSP502 Conductive FluorosiliconeFuel / fluid mist seals · fluid-resistant conductive base · per maker TDS
Where the mist reaches the seal, base polymer beats filler arithmetic: a swollen silicone gasket loses bond pressure and weather seal together. Confirm fluid pairings against the program’s fluid list; values per the maker TDS on file.
SSP502 Corrosion-Resistant Grades (2529 / 2551 Class)Salt-fog & galvanic joints · corrosion-aware filler systems · per maker TDS
The gasket is one term of the corrosion couple: pair it with the finish call-out and drainage geometry on the same drawing, per the ARP1481 framing, and reserve these grades for the joints that earn them. Values per the maker TDS on file.
BISCO EC-2130 Conductive Solid SiliconeLow-closure-force covers & doors · 30 Shore A / 80 Shore OO solid · per Rogers TDS
Sponge is the honest answer to a force-starved joint: it bonds and seals at deflections solid grades never reach. Match firmness to the real force map, hinge side included, per the TDS data. Values per the Rogers TDS on file.
BISCO EC-2265 Static-Dissipative Solid SiliconeESD and grounding pads · carbon-black solid silicone · 5 Ω·cm class per Rogers
EC-2265 is the page’s ESD material, not its highest-conductivity gasket: route demanding bond paths to the QPL-listed 2569 / 2368-65 / 2571-85 or the corrosion-resistant 2529 / 2551 / 550-70 grades. Values per the Rogers TDS on file.
Conductive Foil TapesSeam-overlap shielding & repairs · non-conductive acrylic adhesive · per tape TDS
Tape is the shielding system’s connective tissue, seam overlaps and repairs, not its primary gasket or its bond strap. Specify substrate and finish so adhesive pairing can be verified per the TDS, and kit repair pieces with the platform.
kSil V-0 Silicone Sponge (Environmental Partner Gasket)Dual-seal outboard element · non-conductive · UL 94 V-0 per TDS
The partner that makes corrosion-exposed shielding architectures work: weather outboard, bond inboard, converted as one part so assembly cannot transpose them. Values per the TDS on file.
Aerospace EMI gaskets: engineer-grade FAQ
Twelve of the questions we hear most from EMC, packaging, and defense-electronics engineers and from aerospace purchasing teams. If your question isn’t here, send a drawing or call, engineering picks up.
What is MIL-DTL-83528, and how should a drawing cite it?
It is the U.S. military specification for electrically conductive elastomeric shielding gaskets, organizing materials by filler system and form into type designations. A drawing cites the designation; the supplier’s documentation shows which grades align to it, with shielding-effectiveness and resistivity data per grade on the TDS. The honest discipline: designation alignment and QPL status are verified at quote against the maker’s current paperwork, never assumed from a family name. [1]
Which conductive elastomer suits a dry avionics bay?
The SSP502 standard conductive silicone series is the working family: filled conductive silicone to the lid, cover, or rack interface, with the nickel-graphite 502-xx grades tested to MIL-DTL-83528 methods as non-QPL commercial grades and the QPL-listed 2569 / 2368-65 / 2573-75 / 2486 / 2571-85 grades (Types A / B / C / D / K) per the maker’s data and values per the TDS. Step to a QPL-listed silver-filled grade (2569 Type A, 2368-65 Type B, 2571-85 Type K) where the bond path is most demanding, or EC-2130 soft conductive solid where the cover cannot deliver solid-gasket force; EC-2265 is a 5 ohm-cm ESD silicone for static-dissipative pads, not a shielding gasket. [9]
When does an EMI gasket need a fluorosilicone base?
When fuel, oil, or hydraulic mist can reach the seal. Standard silicone bases swell and soften in sustained fluid exposure, losing sealing force and bond pressure together; the conductive fluorosilicone variants keep the conductive fill in a fluid-resistant base polymer. Classify the exposure at every shielded joint, keep dry-bay joints on silicone economics, and confirm fluid pairings against the program’s fluid list per the TDS. [9]
How do you stop galvanic corrosion at a conductive gasket?
By designing the couple instead of discovering it. The SAE ARP1481 framing covers the discipline: pair the gasket’s filler system with the flange metallurgy, specify compatible conversion coatings by designation (MIL-DTL-5541 class on aluminum), shape the joint to deny standing electrolyte, use the corrosion-resistant grades where exposure is severe, and consider a dual-seal architecture that keeps weather off the conductive element entirely. All of it belongs on the drawing. [5]
Solid or sponge: which conductive gasket for a door?
Follow the force map. A shielded door delivers low and uneven closure force, lowest along the hinge, so the extremely soft conductive solid (EC-2130, 80 Shore OO) is the working answer: it bonds and seals at deflections solid grades never reach and recovers through cycles per the Rogers TDS. Solid grades belong on stiff, well-fastened lids that can load them into their compression windows. The latch budget makes this call before any catalog does. [10]
Can one gasket provide both EMI shielding and environmental sealing?
Often, yes: a conductive elastomer in the right exposure class and compression window does both jobs in one groove, which is the simplest architecture. Where the environment attacks the couple, exterior, salt fog, dissimilar metals, the dual-seal design earns its second groove: conductive element inboard, non-conductive kSil V-0 environmental seal outboard. H-O converts dual-seal joints as one part, kiss-cut or laminated, so assembly cannot transpose the elements.
What does MIL-STD-461 mean for gasket selection?
MIL-STD-461 frames the EMC requirements the equipment must meet, emissions and susceptibility, and the platform’s test campaign verifies the box, not the gasket. For material selection it sets the stakes: the gasket’s compression window, continuity, and stability over service decide whether the chamber result survives the field. This page cites the standard qualitatively; the requirement flow-down and the campaign belong to the integrator. [2]
How is shielding effectiveness actually measured and cited?
Material-level shielding-effectiveness data on conductive elastomer TDS comes from chamber methods in the IEEE 299 class and the test procedures within MIL-DTL-83528, reported per grade across frequency. Two honesty rules follow: SE numbers are material-sample data, not enclosure predictions, and the enclosure’s real performance is set by its worst seam. This page keeps SE values on the maker TDS and treats compression and continuity as the engineering levers. [3]
Do conductive gaskets come with flammability ratings?
Specific grades do: the flame-retardant SSP502 conductive silicones carry UL 94 V-0 listings on their TDS, and the non-conductive kSil V-0 partner family carries the same listing class for dual-seal designs. Listings are per grade and per thickness, so verify at your specified gauge during drawing review, and run the flammability call-out as a gate before grade selection rather than a retrofit after tooling. [8]
Can H-O cut fine-web connector gaskets in production quantities?
Yes, that is precisely the converting problem this page exists for: connector-flange frames with thin webs between closely spaced holes, or kiss-cut on liner with web geometry matched to the material’s tear behavior, delivered so they survive handling and assembly. Web integrity is a shielding parameter, and incoming inspection should treat it that way. H-O cuts these across the conductive families as an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization in Winsted, Connecticut.
Does H-O perform EMC testing or hold platform certifications?
No. EMC campaigns (MIL-STD-461, DO-160 framing) and platform certification belong to the equipment integrator and its test houses; shielding and resistivity values belong to the material makers’ TDS. H-O’s role is converting documented materials to your qualified drawing, repeatably, with lot-coded traceability, and this page deliberately contains materials-marketing information only, with no program-specific or export-controlled technical detail. [2]
How do orders run for made-to-order EMI gaskets?
Send a drawing, BOM, or sample part. Engineering reviews the joint against the TDS layer, exposure class, designation call-out, compression window, flammability, then quotes prototype and production. Everything is made-to-order against the drawing; MOQ varies by material and part.
Samples typically ship in 3–5 business days for common configurations on materials we keep on hand, and standard production runs ship about 2 weeks after drawing approval, with expedited service available. Lead-time details live in the process strip above and the quote form below.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
Standards, test methods & technical references
The standards, test methods, and vendor technical data sheets cited throughout this page. Standards editions current as of June 2026; verify against the publishing body before final spec. H-O converts materials that are tested to these methods on the source manufacturer’s TDS; H-O does not independently certify materials, and flight qualification remains with the airframer or system integrator.
MIL-DTL-83528
Detail Specification: Gasketing Material, Conductive, Shielding Gasket, Electronic, Elastomer, EMI/RFI. The type-designation framework and test procedures for conductive elastomers; grade alignment per maker documentation, QPL status verified at quote. quicksearch.dla.mil
MIL-STD-461
Requirements for the Control of Electromagnetic Interference Characteristics of Subsystems and Equipment: the EMC requirement framing for defense platforms, cited qualitatively; campaigns belong to the integrator. quicksearch.dla.mil
IEEE 299
IEEE Standard Method for Measuring the Effectiveness of Electromagnetic Shielding Enclosures: the measurement class behind shielding-effectiveness data cited on conductive elastomer TDS. standards.ieee.org (299)
RTCA DO-160
Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment: the civil-avionics environmental and EMC framing, cited qualitatively. rtca.org
SAE ARP1481
Aerospace Recommended Practice: Corrosion Control and Electrical Conductivity in Enclosure Design. The design framing for galvanic management at conductive gasket joints, cited by designation. sae.org (ARP1481)
MIL-DTL-5541
Chemical Conversion Coatings on Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys: the finish designation cited as the mating-surface partner in galvanic-aware shielding joints. quicksearch.dla.mil
ASTM D991
Standard Test Method for Rubber Property – Volume Resistivity of Electrically Conductive and Antistatic Products: the resistivity method class behind conductive elastomer TDS values. astm.org/d0991
UL 94
Standard for Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances: the V-0 listings cited on the flame-retardant conductive grades and the kSil partner family; listings per grade and thickness. shopulstandards.com (UL 94)
Specialty Silicone Products SSP502-series technical data
Manufacturer data for the SSP502 conductive elastomer series (standard 502-xx, flame-retardant 502-40-V0 / 502-60-V0, fluorosilicone 502F, corrosion-resistant 2529 / 2551 / 550-70, and the QPL-listed 2569 / 2368-65 / 2573-75 / 2486 / 2571-85 Type A–K grades): shielding effectiveness, volume resistivity, and MIL-DTL-83528 designation alignment per grade. sspinc.com
Rogers BISCO EC-2130 / EC-2265 technical data
Manufacturer TDS for the extremely soft conductive solid (EC-2130, 80 Shore OO) and the carbon-black static-dissipative solid (EC-2265, 5 ohm-cm class): electrical data, compression behavior, and service ranges per grade. rogerscorp.com
Conductive foil tape technical data, TDS on file
Per-grade data for the foil / polyester shielding tapes converted by H-O (C-58 copper, A-25 aluminum): attenuation, dielectric strength, adhesive construction and application guidance, per the TDS on file with H-O.
kSil V-0 silicone sponge technical data, TDS on file
Per-grade data for the flame-resistant silicone sponge partner family: UL 94 V-0 listings, compression-deflection per ASTM D1056, and firmness ladder, per the TDS on file with H-O.
Updated . Standards editions and links current at publication; verify against the publishing body before final spec. H-O converts materials tested to the methods cited; lot-specific documentation available on request.
Get an aerospace EMI gasket engineering quote
Send a drawing, BOM, or spec sheet. We typically respond within one business day with a material-family recommendation, prototype lead time, and TDS verification against your exposure class, designation call-out, compression window, and flammability requirement.
Prefer to talk it through first? Contact the engineering team or call (860) 469-1144.
See also: related H-O application pages
Engineering content for the adjacent aerospace application categories, all under the aerospace, defense & space industry hub and the live EMI / RFI shielding materials overview.
Application page
Avionics & electronics enclosure sealing
The environmental half of the same enclosures: sealing, venting, and ingress protection around the shielded joints.
Read the page
Application page
Avionics thermal management & interface materials
The thermal layer inside the boxes these gaskets shield: graphite spreaders, TIM pads, and dielectric boundaries.
Read the page
Application page
Electrical insulation for aerospace power systems
The dielectric side of aerospace electrical materials: slot liners, barriers, and busbar supports.
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Application page
Defense electronics, ground vehicle & naval systems
The platform view: C4ISR, vehicle, and shipboard material systems that inherit this page’s shielding architecture.
Read the page
Application page
EMI shielding for switchgear & industrial electronics
The industrial sibling: the same conductive elastomer science applied to switchgear and ground-based enclosures.
Read the page
Industry hub
Aerospace, defense & space materials
The full industry directory: every aerospace sub-application H-O converts for, from thermal insulation to EMI shielding.
Open the hub
Application page
eVTOL & Advanced Air Mobility
Die-cut battery-module thermal parts, cell-to-cell propagation barriers, EMI gaskets, and FST cabin insulation for electric vertical-takeoff and advanced air mobility aircraft.
Read the page →
Material data & standards. All material properties and ratings referenced on this page are taken from the source manufacturer’s technical data sheets and the cited standards: shielding effectiveness per IEEE 299-class and MIL-DTL-83528 test methods, volume resistivity per ASTM D991-class methods, flammability listings per UL 94 as listed per grade and thickness, and MIL-STD-461 / RTCA DO-160 / SAE ARP1481 / MIL-DTL-5541 cited qualitatively by designation.
MIL-DTL-83528 type-designation alignment and QPL status are verified at quote against the maker’s current documentation. This page frames performance qualitatively and keeps per-grade values on the TDS, where they belong; it contains materials-marketing information only, with no program-specific or export-controlled technical detail. H-O converts materials tested to these methods; H-O does not perform EMC qualification and makes no platform-certification claims.
Verify against the vendor TDS and your program’s EMC plan for your specific application.
Conversion scope. H-O and converts conductive elastomer sheet, sponge, and tape stock to drawing in Winsted, Connecticut: die-cut and kiss-cut EMI gaskets, fine-web connector frames, dual-seal constructions, conductive washers, and slit tape, with material traceability and lot-code TDS records, as an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization. H-O does not manufacture raw material in-house; extruded or molded conductive profiles are coordinated through a partner network. Lead-time and MOQ details are on the process strip and in the quote form above.