I am looking for a cheap EMP hardening solution for a new design. Starting my research with the Faraday cage, I came across "Mu-metal" in a Wiki article. And this description has me thinking it is an excellent choice; "Mu-metal can have relative permeability of 80,000-100,000 compared to several thousand for ordinary steel."
The high permeability of "Mu-metal" provides a low reluctance path for magnetic flux, leading to its major use, in magnetic shields against static or slowly varying magnetic fields. Magnetic shielding made with high permeability alloys like mu-metal works not by blocking magnetic fields but by shunting them—providing a path for the magnetic field lines around the shielded area. And this sounds like am excellent and simple choice for my requirements.
However, is there anything else I can do to protect my design?
Although it would be ideal, I am not planning on my device to be in a nuclear warhead shower during the next "big one." I am more concerned with other EMP sources, such as machinery, people, transformers, exploding large capacitors, or a rival engineers bent on destroying my hard work.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Catwell