Pitch Carbon Fibre Composite’s Electrical Conductivity for Lightning Strike Protection of Aero Engine Part

Purpose and goal:

This project successfully explored electrical resistance in pitch carbon fibre-based Noobed 3D pre-forms for potential integration into aero engine parts, meeting the goal of quantifying resistance and assessing deviations from analytical predictions. Expected results and effects:

The project achieved its main goal and success criteria, demonstrating promising advancements in electrically conductive Noobed 3D pre-forms. While the cause of some deviations between the measured and analytically determined resistance values is unknown, this exploration sets the stage for further developments that aim to advance the developed pitch fibre-based material system and an alternative PAN fibre-based material system.

Approach and implementation:

Guided by the Aerospace Industry Partner’s requirements, Fureho designed suitable Pitch carbon-fibre Noobed 3D pre-forms, which were subsequently infused with epoxy by the partner for composite components. The components were subsequently tested for electrical resistivity, showing promising results. These results lay the groundwork for future investigations and collaboration through two follow-on projects.