Self-heating and deicing epoxy/glass fiber based carbon nanotubes buckypaper composite

The recent developments in the aeronautical structure industry have seen a sharp rise in the use of polymer composite materials. The performances of all aerodynamic surfaces are heavily dependent on the shape and the surface form. The modification of these surfaces due to condensation and melting of ice can cause catastrophic decreases in the aerodynamic performance. In this study polymer composite materials as heater were made and studied. The feasibility of using advanced polymer composites for de-icing application was validated and studied through experiments. It consists of thin carbon nanotubes (CNTs) Bucky paper placed between two glass fibers veils and then infiltrated with an epoxy polymer resin and cured. The composite can be heated up very quickly using an electrical power source. The idea of using this new material as a heater and de-icing material was explored experimentally. For that purpose, the temperature distribution was monitored at different positions of the panel using thermal imaging. Experimental results show that the surface temperature of the panel increases gradually as the heating time increases. This temperature increased in a short time period of heating time, implying that the composite panels with CNTs Bucky paper display an excellent heating performance.