나노입자 코팅 탄소섬유 강화 복합재료의 전기전도도 향상

초록

The electrical conductivity of carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) has been improved by indium-tin oxide (ITO) nano-particles coating of carbon fibers for the purpose of lightning strike protection in composite airframes. ITO nano-particles were coated on the surface of carbon fibers by spraying the colloidal suspension with 10~40% ITO content. The electrical conductivity of the CFRP has been increased more than three times, comparable to or higher than that of B-787 fuselage materials, without sacrificing the tensile property due to the existence of nano-particles at fiber-matrix interface. The damage area by the simulated lightning strike was also verified for different materials and conditions by using ultrasonic C-scan image. As the electrical conductivity of 40% nano-ITO coated sample surpass that of the B-787 sample, the damage area by lightning strike also appeared comparable to that of the materials currently employed for composite fuselage construction.