Lightning protection of carbon fibre reinforced plastics — An overview

With the growing interest to construct more efficient aircraft, more components are designed out of light-weight CFRP structures. CFRP however, are poorer electrical and thermal conductors than aluminum alloys that have been used in aircraft and aerospace construction as the principle material. Without additional design features CFRP structures are susceptible to sever damage in the event of a lightning strike. Moreover, electromagnetic fields can penetrate through less electrical conducting CFRP regions into the airplane. Thus, there is a need for lightning protection and EM shielding measures. This study provides an overview of the lightning strike phenomenon, the lightning damage to CFRP structures and the current lightning protection solutions. Advanced materials like polymer-based nano-composites or graphene-reinforced composites are promising candidates for lightweight, multifunctional protection measures, but still with limited stage of maturation.