Fabrication of the silver modified carbon nanotube film/carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite for the lightning strike protection application

Abstract Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with low density, corrosion resistance and excellent mechanical properties are widely applied in the aircraft industry, instead of the traditional metallic material. Their poor electrical conductivity leads to the vulnerability to the lightning strike (LS). In this paper, highly conductive silver modified carbon nanotube film (SMCNF) was developed via the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method for protecting CFRP structures and components of the aircraft. Lightning strike protection (LSP) efficiency of the SMCNF/CFRP composite was characterized from the micro-scale to the macro-scale, and its possible protective mechanism was discussed. The compressive strength of the SMCNF/CFRP composite after the simulated LS test maintains 91.05% and is higher than that of the Cu mesh/CFRP composite (83.28%). Compared to commercial copper mesh LSP material, it can reduce the weight by 27.4% with the better residual compressive strength ratio. Therefore, highly conductive and lightweight SMCNF as a LSP layer can effectively reduce the damage of the CFRP matrix caused by the LS.