Enhancement of thermal conductivity in aeroplane composite materials via graphene

In the design of airplanes, it is very important to provide the flow of electricity without damaging the aircraft. In addition, the usage of composite materials is in the interest of reducing aircraft weight. However, the conductivity properties of these materials need to be improved. Due to its superior electrical, thermal and mechanical properties, graphene offers unique opportunities for improvement in this area. In order to improve the electrical and thermal conductivity properties, copper was coated onto carbon fiber surfaces by electroless plating method. Graphene synthesis was carried out in a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) furnace with different gas ratios and different durations on copper coated carbon fiber. The change in both thermal conductivity coefficient values and electrical conductivity of these manufactured graphene reinforced carbon fiber+epoxy laminated composites were examined. The obtained data were interpreted by regression analysis and response surface method. As a result, the coefficient of thermal conductivity increased by %17 and reached to 0.824 W/mK.