Vertical z-axis discontinuous carbon fibers for improved lightning strike performance of continuous fiber-reinforced polymer composites

Hmeidat, Nadim S.; Millen, Scott L. J.; Saha, Subhabrata; Kunc, Vlastimil; Arabi Hassen, Ahmed; Kumar, Vipin

doi:10.1177/00219983241292772

Vertical z-axis discontinuous carbon fibers for improved lightning strike performance of continuous fiber-reinforced polymer composites

Journal Article · Fri Nov 08 00:00:00 EST 2024 · Journal of Composite Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/00219983241292772· OSTI ID:2476734

^[1]; ^[2]; Saha, Subhabrata ^[1]; Kunc, Vlastimil ^[1]; Arabi Hassen, Ahmed ^[1]; Kumar, Vipin ^[1]

Manufacturing Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Knoxville, TN, USA
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK

Effective lightning strike protection for critical aerospace and wind applications requires high electrical conductivity to dissipate current efficiently. However, polymer matrix composites face a challenge due to their inherently insulating nature. While conventional carbon fiber-reinforced composites (CFRP) exhibit electrical conductivity in the planar direction, achieving through-thickness conductivity remains an ongoing challenge. In this work, we have undertaken the fabrication of CFRP interleaved with vertically oriented carbon fibers (Z-fiber) to impart higher electrical conductivity along the thickness direction. Two Z-fiber composite variations are prepared: Z-1 with a single layer of Z-fiber and Z-5 with five interleaved layers and compared with no Z-fiber layer (Z-0) composite. The composite panels were subjected to lab-scale lightning strike tests with a current magnitude of 100 kA. To emulate real-world service conditions, an aerospace-grade paint coating was applied to the composite laminates. Comparative analysis shows Z-1 reduces damage diameter to ∼22 mm compared to Z-0 (∼26 mm), while Z-5 exhibits the least damage (∼16.7 mm), confirmed by optical microscopy. Z-5 demonstrates nine times higher through-thickness electrical conductivity than Z-0, reducing electrical anisotropy substantially. Thermal-electric finite element damage modeling predicts surface damage within 6% of experimental values for both Z-0 and Z-5 composites. Flexural tests post-lightning reveal Z-5 retains 66% flexural strength and 86% modulus, significantly better than Z-0, which retains less than 40% for both properties. This study highlights the efficacy of Z-fiber composites in lightning strike protection, offering improved through-thickness conductivity and mechanical property retention.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2476734

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2478363

Journal Information:: Journal of Composite Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Composite Materials Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 59; ISSN 0021-9983

Publisher:: SAGE PublicationsCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
Carbon fiber composites
Lightning strike protection
Residual properties
Thermal-electric modelling
Z-axis oriented short fiber composites

Vertical z-axis discontinuous carbon fibers for improved lightning strike performance of continuous fiber-reinforced polymer composites

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