The U.S. Department of War wants to rebuild America’s maritime industrial base. The Navy is accelerating the construction of new vessels and improving maintenance efficiency to reduce long-standing repair delays. Corrosion remains a significant problem, however. It’s costing the Navy billions of dollars each year and jeopardizing fleet readiness and service member safety.
For gasket fabricators and defense contractors, EMI shielding that resists galvanic corrosion can help support the mission. Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) offers two EMI shielding silicones that resist “dissimilar metal corrosion”, as this form of corrosion is also known. SSP’s materials are alternatives to Parker Chomerics CHO-SEAL® products and have low minimums and short lead times.
Galvanic Corrosion and EMI Gaskets
In marine environments, saltwater acts as a highly conductive electrolyte and causes electrons to flow between connected metals. When dissimilar metals are in contact, the more active metal undergoes a process called galvanic corrosion. This electrochemical reaction causes rapid, localized damage like pitting and, in extreme cases, can lead to component or system failure.
Nickel-aluminum filled silicones exhibit the lowest amount of flange pitting from galvanic corrosion, but the benefits of using them don’t stop there. Compared to other EMI elastomers, nickel-aluminum silicones provide the highest shielding effectiveness after long-term aging testing. They also have low transfer impedance and offer long-lasting performance as EMI flange gaskets.
Less Flange Pitting and More EMI Shielding
Specialty Silicone Products (SSP) makes two nickel-aluminum elastomers that provide superior resistance to galvanic corrosion. They were tested according to ASTM B117, a standard that’s used to generate comparative corrosion resistance data. Both materials have been tested for Shielding Effectiveness.
- SSP-2529 is a 68-durometer nickel-aluminum silicone that’s an offset to CHO-SEAL 6502. The weight loss of an aluminum sample was only 0.08%, as described in this SSP white paper.
- SSP-2551 is a 72-durometer nickel-aluminum fluorosilicone that’s an offset to CHO-SEAL 6503. This material is useful in applications where a fuel resistant product is required. This EMI gasket material also passes ASTM E595 low outgassing requirements.
Battle Galvanic Corrosion with SSP
SSP supports gasket fabricators and defense contractors who win business by solving tough challenges. Whether you need ready-to-fabricate materials or ready-to-install products, our Made in USA manufacturing facility is ready to serve you. Contact SSP to request a quote for EMI shielding that resists galvanic corrosion, or download our white paper for more information.
