Sealing Automotive Electrical Connectors with Silicone Gel Devices

Silicone gel devices have been developed and evaluated as sealants in the rear of automotive electrical connectors. This work includes results from mechanical, electrical, chemical and thermal tests on silicone gel materials as well as on sealed simulated connectors. The results indicate that silicone gel devices are very capable of sealing the back of multi-way automotive connectors.

This paper discusses sealing devices for the rear of automotive connectors in the form of grommets fabricated of silicone gel sandwiched between layers of open cell polymer foam. A description of its construction, application and performance is presented along with a discussion of the silicone gel's electrical, thermal and chemical properties. A set of design rules for using silicone gels as sealants that will prove useful to the automotive connector designer is also presented.