Kapton® 200RS100 Polyimide Disk

Kapton® 200RS100 is DuPont's resistive-static polyimide film — a standard Kapton® substrate coated on one side with a thin, controlled-conductivity carbon layer that gives a surface resistivity of approximately 100 Ω/sq. This controlled-resistivity coating allows electrostatic charge to dissipate safely across the film surface at a rate that protects ESD-sensitive components from damage, while avoiding the field disturbances that would arise from a fully conductive metallic shielding layer. It is the only grade in the Kapton® family with a defined surface conductivity, making it the correct choice for ESD management, surface-level EMI absorption, and low-current signal grounding in shielded assemblies.

ESD dissipation means the surface allows accumulated electrostatic charge to bleed away slowly and safely, preventing the sudden high-voltage discharge that would damage sensitive electronics. EMI shielding, in the reflective metallic sense, means blocking electromagnetic fields entirely. Kapton® 200RS100's carbon coating provides ESD dissipation and surface-level EMI absorption — it absorbs and attenuates surface electromagnetic interference rather than reflecting it — which is the behaviour needed in flex circuit ground planes, sensitive sensor enclosures, and spacecraft electronics where a reflective metallic shield would introduce unwanted signal artefacts. For broadband EMI shielding requiring high attenuation, a metallised Kapton® film or metallic foil is the correct choice.

A surface resistivity of approximately 100 Ω/sq places 200RS100 in the electrically conductive category — well within the range for reliable ESD dissipation and charge bleed-off from component trays, packaging films, and assembly surfaces. The carbon coating provides this resistivity in a stable form that is not degraded by humidity, solvent cleaning, or repeated thermal cycling — important for cleanroom and aerospace applications where the ESD-dissipative property must remain consistent across the service life of the material.

Kapton® 200RS100 has a continuous service limit of +200 °C, with a short-term excursion limit of +325 °C in an oxygen-free environment. This is lower than the +400 °C continuous limit of the uncoated Kapton® grades — the carbon coating has a lower thermal stability than the polyimide substrate. For applications requiring the full polyimide thermal range alongside ESD protection, an alternative approach — such as a metallised grade with controlled coating thickness — may be needed. At the cryogenic end, 200RS100 shares the −269 °C lower limit of the Kapton® family, making it suitable for ESD-managed cryogenic sensor assemblies and vacuum instrument chambers.

Kapton® 200RS100 is specified for aerospace electronics and satellite systems where triboelectric charging in the space plasma environment must be safely dissipated; ESD-controlled electronics manufacturing as die-cut ESD-dissipative liners, component tray inserts, and packaging films for ESD-sensitive semiconductor, MEMS, and precision sensor assembly; flexible PCB shielding and signal grounding layers in multilayer flex circuit stacks as a distributed ESD-dissipative layer and low-impedance signal return path; EV battery module ESD management during manufacture and service; high-density interconnect prototyping where ESD-safe surfaces prevent charge accumulation on fine-pitch conductor patterns; vacuum instrument chamber liners where triboelectric charging on insulating surfaces would disturb sensitive electrostatic or electromagnetic measurements; and medical electronic modules in ESD-sensitive implantable and wearable device assembly.

The carbon coating is applied only to the surface of a standard Kapton® substrate, preserving the bulk dielectric strength, volume resistivity, and low dissipation factor of the base polyimide film. The 200RS100 film therefore functions simultaneously as an ESD-dissipative surface treatment and a high-performance dielectric insulating film — a combination unavailable in either metallic or fully conductive films. This allows it to be integrated into multilayer flex circuit stacks as a distributed ground plane without the weight penalty of metallic foil shielding layers.

Yes. 200RS100 retains the dimensional stability, low moisture uptake, and low outgassing characteristics of the Kapton® polyimide substrate, meeting NASA and ESA outgassing requirements for spacecraft materials. Its controlled surface resistivity is stable in the space vacuum environment without degradation, making it suitable for satellite thermal management films, space instrument electronics, and cryogenic sensor assemblies where ESD protection must be maintained across the full operational temperature range.

Both grades involve carbon — Kapton® B has homogeneous carbon-black pigmentation throughout the film for optical opacity and low reflectivity; 200RS100 has a conductive carbon surface coating on one side for ESD dissipation and EMI absorption. Kapton® B is an electrical insulator with high volume resistivity. 200RS100 is a resistive conductor at its surface. They are not interchangeable: choose B for optical shielding and light exclusion, choose 200RS100 for ESD control and surface-level EMI management.

Kapton® 200RS100 can be die-cut to component footprints, laser-machined for fine-feature profiling, and incorporated into multilayer flex circuit stacks. The carbon-coated side provides the ESD-dissipative surface; the uncoated back retains the polyimide dielectric. It is compatible with standard PCB processing chemistry and can be bonded using standard acrylic and epoxy adhesive systems compatible with the Kapton® substrate.