An electrically conductive, compliant elastomer material that is
impregnated with a metal is formed by combining a metal salt with an
elastomer precursor material to form a metal salt/precursor mixture,
curing the metal salt/precursor mixture to form an elastomer impregnated
with metal salt, and treating the elastomer impregnated with metal salt
with a chemical reducing composition so as to convert at least a portion
of the metal salt impregnated within the elastomer to a metal. The
elastomer can be subjected to a suitable solvent that swells the
elastomer during the chemical reduction of the metal salt to metal, which
enhances the mechanical and electrical properties of the resultant metal
impregnated elastomer material.