Functionalized interleaf technology in carbon-fibre-reinforced composites for aircraft applications

Abstract

At the recent 19th International Conference of Composite Materials (ICCM19), in Montreal, Professor Xiaosu Yi from the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, Aviation Industry Corporation of China, gave a plenary lecture on ‘How to Make the Structural Composites Multi-functional’. His lecture highlighted the recent developments from his research team in functionalized interleaf technology (FIT). Their work has improved both the electrical conductivity and the impact damage resistance of carbon-fibre-reinforced composites for aircraft applications. Carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite structures are widely used in today’s aerospace, green energy, marine, sport and transportation industries. These materials provide manufacturers and builders with costcompetitive alternatives to conventional metal alloys. However, the introduction of polymer composites in mainframes of modern structures presents special challenges and issues regarding their multi-functional properties (e.g. electrical and thermal conductivities) in addition to the potential risk of incurring extension of interlaminar damage under impact and fatigue loading, due to the brittle nature of the matrix resins. For example, such composite structures are poor conductors of extreme electrical currents generated by a lightning strike. Composite materials are either not electrically conductive at all under a moisture-free condition (e.g. GFRPs with electrical conductivity in the order Figure 1. AgNW network; and improvements in interlaminar fracture toughness and electrical conductivity of carbon-fibre-reinforced composites.