Co-authors​ :

 Rishi RAJ (INDIA), Suryasarathi BOSE , Subodh KUMAR  

Engineering thermoplastic-based carbon fiber (CF) laminates such as CF/Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are gaining immense popularity for the structural applications in aircrafts. The high damage tolerance, weldability, recyclability and faster production rate as compared to traditional epoxy-based CF laminates make them a suitable candidate for this application. Apart from structural properties of the CF/PEEK laminates, functional properties such as de-icing/anti-icing characteristics and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding play an equally important role in overall durability and functioning of the aerostructures during service. Deposition of ice at high altitudes is one of the major problems during in-service flights, leading to disturbance in aerodynamics and weight augmentation. Electrothermal heating is one of the most feasible solutions to overcome the deicing problem in aerostructures. Still, the poor electrical and thermal conductivity of laminates create a major obstacle to this approach. This work aims to provide the necessary electrical conductivity to CF/PEEK laminates by incorporating stainless steel (SS) mesh improving electrothermal heating characteristics of CF/PEEK laminates which is a less explored area till date. The design of the CF/PEEK/SS mesh structure was designed to provide improved electrothermal heating, reducing ice melting time while maintaining the structural strength of laminate. The enhancement of de-icing properties comes at the cost of compromised structural integrity of laminates. This work also overcomes this challenge of poor bonding between SS and PEEK by bringing another polymer as deposition at SS mesh thereby improving bonding between SS mesh and CF/PEEK laminate. The Interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and Flexural strength results show a 15% and 24% increment respectively after incorporation of SS. The maximum temperature recorded over laminate surface increased from 40oC to 80oC and deicing time decreased from 120 to 45 sec at a small voltage of 2V. The EMI shielding (total shielding effectiveness) improved from 47dB to 60dB. The architecture of incorporating metallic mesh and improving its bonding with matrix will open up new horizons for the crucial applications in de-icing, lightning strike protection and EMI shielding properties in aerostructures.