Lightning Strike Protection For Composite Structures

Composite structures are more vulnerable to damage than metal, but today's LSP
products offer proven protection.

By Ginger Gardiner | July 2006

Page: 1 2 3

General aviation aircraft, large commercial jets and wind turbines are vulnerable to
lightning strike. FAA-certified aircraft, for example, are typically struck once or twice a
year. Unlike their metal counterparts, composite structures in these applications do not
readily conduct away the extreme electrical currents and electromagnetic forces
generated by lightning strikes. Composite materials are either not conductive at all (e.g.,
fiberglass) or are significantly less conductive than metals (e.g., carbon fiber), so current
from a lightning strike seeks the metal paths available. For that reason, lightning strike
protection (LSP) has been a significant concern since the first composites were used on
aircraft more than 30 years ago.

Source: Dexmet

A variety of metal mesh and expanded foil products, such as this offered by Dexmet, are
available to composite manufacturers for lightning strike protection of composites.

If a lightning bolt strikes an unprotected structure, up to 200,000 amps of electricity

seeks the path of least resistance. In the process, it may vaporize metal control cables,
weld hinges on control surfaces and explode fuel vapors within fuel tanks if current arcs
through gaps around fasteners. These direct effects also typically include vaporization of
resin in the immediate strike area, with possible burn-through of the laminate. Indirect
effects occur when magnetic fields and electrical potential differences in the structure
induce transient voltages, which can damage and even destroy onboard electronics that
have not been EMF (electromagnetic field) shielded or lightning protected. The need for
protection of composite structures has prompted development of a number of
specialized LSP materials.

Protection basics

LSP strategies have three goals: provide adequate conductive paths so that lightning
current remains on the structure's exterior; eliminate gaps in this conductive path to
prevent arcing at attachment points and ignition of fuel vapors; and protect wiring,
cables and sensitive equipment from damaging surges or transients through careful
grounding, EMF shielding and application of surge suppression devices where
necessary.

Traditionally, conductive paths in composite structures have been established in one of

the following ways: (1) bonding aluminum foil to the structure as the outside ply; (2)
bonding aluminum or copper mesh to the structure either as the outside ply or
embedded one ply down; or (3) incorporating strands of conductive material into the
laminate. All require connecting the conductive pathways to the rest of the aircraft in
order to give the current an ample number of routes to safely exit the aircraft. This is
typically achieved by using metal bonding strips (i.e., electrical bonding) to connect the
conductive surface layer to an internal "ground plane," which includes metal
components such as engines, conduit, etc. Because lightning strikes can attach to metal
fasteners in composite structures, it may be desirable to prevent arcing or sparking
between them by encapsulating fastener nuts or sleeves with plastic caps or polysulfide
coatings.

For external surface protection, a number of metal and metallized fiber products have
been developed, typically woven and nonwoven screens and expanded foils. These
mesh-like products enable the lightning's current to quickly transmit across the
structure's surface, reducing its focus. According to Ed Rupke, senior engineer for
Lightning Technologies Inc. (LTI, Pittsfield, Mass.), aluminum wire was one of the first
LSP materials, interwoven with carbon fiber as part of the laminate. However, using
aluminum with carbon fiber risked galvanic corrosion (the result when two dissimilar
metals act similarly to a battery, causing the metal that acts as the anode to corrode).
Copper wires relieve the threat of galvanic corrosion but are three times as heavy as
aluminum. As fiberglass composites gained usage in aircraft, the industry investigated
foils and then expanded foils, which can be cocured with the laminate's exterior ply.
Coated fibers (nickel or copper electrodeposited onto carbon and other fibers) also are
used but perform much better in EMF shielding applications than as direct lightning
strike protection.

Metal mesh and expanded foil

Astrostrike aluminum mesh is produced by Astroseal Products (Chester, Conn.) from a

solid foil, which is then perforated and expanded to increase formability and augment
adhesion to composite structures. Astroseal claims that its product provides significantly
greater conductivity than woven mesh, while offering weight savings vs. metallized
fiber products (see "Metallized fabrics and fibers," p. 47). Cirrus (Duluth, Minn.) uses
Astrostrike on the fiberglass composite airframes of its FAA-certified SR-20 and SR-22
single-engine, piston-powered aircraft. Astrostrike aluminum mesh is embedded in the
composite layup, and 3-inch to 4-inch (76 mm to 102 mm) metal strips run the length of
the plane to electrically bond the aircraft's surfaces to its frame. The company knows of
two lightning strikes to Cirrus aircraft: one hit the propeller tip and went through the
engine; the other went through the airframe and exited through metal flake paint on the
plane's graphics. Both were conducted through the aircraft as designed, without causing
injuries or seriously damaging structures or equipment. The pilots were able to fly home
without problems. Paul Brey, director of airframe engineering, says Cirrus is evaluating
a thinner, lighter weight Astrostrike product as a manufacturing upgrade to improve
surface finish and reduce manufacturing costs.

Adam Aircraft (Englewood, Colo.) manufactures the FAA-certified twin-prop (inline

push/pull) pressurized A500 aircraft and is completing FAA certification for its A700
jet. Both have carbon-fiber composite airframes and use Astrostrike nonwoven copper
mesh, which eliminates the risk of galvanic corrosion with carbon composites and is
only a few mils thick. "We use it on almost the entire aircraft," explains Kerry Manning,
structures lead engineer. "It adds very little thickness because it is layed up as the first
ply, with the rest of the laminate built on top of it."

Source: APCM

Two lightning strike test panels: the one at top shows burn-through that resulted from
lack of lightning strike protection; the panel at bottom, protected by Strike Guard LSP
prepreg, shows only localized surface damage.

Adam Aircraft employed LTI both as an LSP consultant during development and as its
lightning strike testing firm during the six-month FAA certification process for the
A500's LSP system. Adam Aircraft knows of one strike, so far, to its A500 aircraft,
which resulted in insignificant damage to the airframe. According to Manning, "Using
LTI early on saved a lot of time and helped us to avoid many pitfalls."

Manning notes, however, that finishing steps must be carefully performed. "We prime
and paint as usual, but we have learned that the paint thickness must be controlled," he
explains. "If the paint is too thick, the lightning does not readily conduct through to the
copper mesh and we end up with damage." The A500 and A700 also use metal bonding
straps between wings and fuselage to establish a ground plane for tying in the airframe
and avionics.

A number of suppliers provide expanded foils, which do not require a more costly
weaving process to produce and reportedly offer greater drapability and conformability
than wovens. Dexmet (Naugatuck, Conn.) supplies a large variety of conductive metal
products for aircraft, including aluminum, copper, phosphorous bronze, titanium and
other materials. Dexmet is prepared to modify any design to meet precise customer
needs and works with customers to test and evaluate custom and standard LSP designs.
Dexmet claims to be the only company worldwide to supply expanded 0.004 inch/0.1
mm aluminum in 48 inch/1,219 mm widths, which can reduce labor cost during
application.

Strikegrid is a phosphoric acid-anodized continuous expanded aluminum foil (CEAF)

product supplied by Alcore (Edgewood, Md.), part of the M.C. Gill Corp. group of
companies. It claims superior corrosion resistance and environmental longevity due to a
proprietary coating. It is supplied on continuous rolls in 24 inch to 36 inch (610 mm to
914 mm) widths and in 2-mil and 4-mil thicknesses.

Source: LM Glasfiber

Wind blade manufacturer LM Glasfiber's lightning test procedure includes full-scale

testing, shown here on a 35m/115 ft blade. The test method is described in the new
(draft) SAE ARP5416 and EUROCAE ED105 procedures, which are replacing the
previous US MIL-STD-1757 A.

In Europe, aluminum LSP mesh is supplied by ECC GmbH & Co. KG (formerly C.
Cramer & Co., Heek-Nienborg, Germany). Diamond Aircraft (London, Ontario,
Canada) uses the mesh on its composite-airframed DA 40 aircraft, which was developed
in Austria and certified by the Austrian equivalent of the FAA. Don Uffen, engineering
manager for the company's piston engine programs in Canada, describes the lightning
strike protection system for the DA 40, "Aluminum mesh is used on the strike zones of
the fiberglass aircraft structure and also on the carbon composite wing skin near the
wing tips." The LSP fabric used is ECC's 3K carbon, 2x2 twill fabric with aluminum
threads (Style 459). The epoxy resin reportedly helps to prevent galvanic corrosion
between the aluminum mesh and carbon fiber composites. The aircraft's lightning
protection was tested by Culham Lightning Ltd. (Abingdon, Oxfordshire, U.K.). "All
surfaces and structures are electrically bonded via a redundant path of aluminum tubular
conduits — used to run wiring harnesses through the aircraft — and interconnected flat
aluminum straps," says Uffen. "The tubing and straps have been sized to make sure they
can carry the required lightning current to prevent damage." Lightning protection for the
DA 42 is essentially the same, even though it uses more carbon composites than the DA
40.

Source: LM Glasfiber

LM Glasfiber mounts multiple receptors along the blade length and connects them to an
interior conductive system, for LSP on blades over 25m/82 ft in length, as well as all
carbon-fiber wind blades and blades on offshore turbines.

Page: 1 2 3

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Lightning Strike Protection For Composite Structures

Composite structures are more vulnerable to damage than metal, but today's LSP
products offer proven protection.

By Ginger Gardiner | July 2006

Page: 1 2 3

Ply-integrated LSP

Among the newest developments — so new, they were unavailable for consideration on
many recent aircraft programs — are "all-in-one" LSP prepregs, which contain pre-
embedded woven or nonwoven metal meshes. Applied first-down in layups, the
products significantly reduce kitting and manufacturing costs, according to their
suppliers.

Strike Guard LSP prepreg is manufactured by APCM (Plainfield, Conn.), and sold
through and supported by partner/distributor Advanced Materials and Equipment
(Barkhamsted, Conn.). APCM's LSP prepregs are made from either woven or
nonwoven metal mesh impregnated with hot-melt adhesive resins that are modified with
additives to enhance conductivity of the matrix, making the entire prepreg a conductive
system. Metal mesh options include copper, aluminum, phosphor bronze and
nickel/copper-coated polyester fiber in various sizes, ranging in weight from 0.08 lb/ft2
to 0.060 lb/ft2. Prepregs also are available with a lightweight nonwoven fiberglass veil
that enhances surface finish, reducing porosity and secondary finishing required prior to
painting.

Using a combined prepreg/veil system like Strike Guard ensures that the mesh is
completely wet out by the resin, lessening the risk of air entrapment as compared to a
separate layup of a resin film and dry mesh. For handling ease, Strike Guard prepregs
come with a paper release on one side and poly release on the other. A 1-inch/25.4-mm,
no-veil edge can be specified so that conductivity can be achieved by overlapping
adjacent plies. Strike Guard is used by several general aviation manufacturers
worldwide.

Henkel Corp.'s (Bay Point, Calif.) LSP surfacing film combines its SynSkin composite
surfacing film and Hysol film adhesives with Astroseal's lightweight conductive
Astrostrike screens to provide a family of lightning strike surfacing layers. They
reportedly ease handling and layup, and improve the surface quality of the cured part.
The screens also can reduce the cost of surface preparation for painting, lower raw
material part numbers and kitting time, and can be cocured with prepregs. SynSkin's
unique combination of filler materials and resin matrix reportedly makes it nearly
impossible to sand through once cured, offering dramatically better protection of the
conductive screen during sand-and-fill operations than all-epoxy film adhesives.

Cytec Engineered Materials (Tempe, Ariz.) also produces LSP products in the form of
film adhesives and surfacing films that incorporate perforated foils. FM-300 and FM-
1515-3 are structural film adhesives that were developed for customers who want to
have only one material qualified for both structural and LSP uses. SURFACE MASTER
905 composite surfacing film is billed by Cytec as its next-generation LSP product.
According to Dr. Dalip Kohli, product development manager, "SURFACE MASTER
905 has been designed specifically to produce a composite structure with no pinholes or
surface defects of any kind." He continues, "Porosity is a problem that only gets worse
when adding lightning strike materials such as metal mesh. SURFACE MASTER 905 is
available with expanded copper screen (ECS) or expanded aluminum screen (EAS)
already embedded in, so that a defect-free surface with lightning strike protection is
easy to achieve." Reportedly pliable and drapable like a film adhesive, SURFACE
MASTER 905 contains enough resin in the film to permit surface sanding without
damaging the embedded metal screen. According to Cytec, the product passed a full
battery of lightning strike tests performed by Lightning Technologies Inc., including
those for aircraft zones 1A and 1B, and has been qualified by major OEMs, including
Boeing, Airbus, Bell, Bombardier and Embraer. The product is supplied on rolls, 36
inches to 54 inches wide (91.4 cm by 137 cm) and is approximately 5 mils thick.

Hexcel (Stamford, Conn.) says its variety of LSP combinations reduce weight and
manufacturing costs vs. more traditional materials, and are being used in aircraft and
wind turbines. Hexcel can supply its HexWeb CR-PAA (phosphoric acid-anodized)
aluminum expanded foil as a standalone product or combined with its prepregs and/or
adhesives into a multilayered LSP system. Additionally, the company's Redux
adhesives and HexPly resins can be paired with bronze, copper, aluminum mesh or
expanded foils. A more unusual option is the company's Interwoven Wire Fabrics,
which feature small diameter wires that are woven into carbon cloth fabric to create a
single-layer LSP system. Wire options for this system include phosphor bronze,
aluminum and others, which can be incorporated into in a variety of weave styles with a
range of wire concentrations, which then can be prepregged with Hexcel resins. If
isolation of a carbon composite layer is needed, Hexcel can incorporate fiberglass
fabrics into any of the multilayered products that includes metal foil or mesh.

Source: Adam Aircraft

A molded carbon fiber/epoxy engine cowling for Adam Aircraft's A500 twin-engine
prop plane features an outer layer of layer of copper mesh (inset) for lightning strike
protection.

Metallized fabrics and fibers

Several companies supply metallized fabrics and/or metallized fibers that may be used
to produce LSP fabrics. Diamond Fiber Composites (Cincinnati, Ohio) coats carbon
fibers with a wide variety of metals including nickel, copper, silver, gold, palladium,
platinum and metal hybrids (multilayer coatings) using what the company calls an
"electroless" plating process, a completely chemically based coating process that
reportedly provides a more uniform coating than electroplating processes do. These
coated fibers may be obtained as continuous fiber lengths, chopped fibers, woven
fabrics and nonwoven veils/mats.

Electro Fiber Technologies (Stratford, Conn.) offers single or dual metal hybrids coated
onto carbon, graphite, glass, polyester and other synthetic fibers. The company supplies
chopped fibers (down to 1 mm/0.04 inch in length) and continuous tows from 3K to
80K as well as nonwoven veils and mats.

Technical Fibre Products (Newburgh, N.Y.) supplies electrically conductive nonwoven

mats and veils using carbon, nickel-coated carbon, aluminized glass, silicon carbide,
stainless steel and nickel fibers. The company also can custom-blend fibers, particulates
and binders using a unique wet-laying technology.

Textile Products Inc. (Anaheim, Calif.) supplies a Style #4607 216 g/m2
carbon/aluminum hybrid fabric made with AS4-3K carbon fiber and aluminum wire. It
also supplies a Style #4608 218 g/m2 hybrid with T650/35-3K carbon fiber and
aluminum wire. Both are plain weaves, 14 mils thick and 107 cm/42 inches wide.
Varinit (Greenville, S.C.) supplies electrically conductive reinforcing fabrics,
developing and manufacturing products to meet customer specifications.

As an alternative to aluminum and copper LSP products (such as the copper mesh used
by by Adam Aircraft, noted above and Epic Aircraft, noted below), the AFN Advanced
Fiber Nonwovens Group (Hawkinsville, Ga.) of Hollingsworth & Vose Co. (East
Walpole, Mass.) has developed a new nickel-coated carbon fiber nonwoven material.
This new LSP veil has been tested by Lightning Technologies Inc. (LTI) and has passed
the most severe Zone 1A lightning strike tests (see "Protection Requirements," p. 47).
Detailed in a recent SAMPE 2006 presentation, the nickel-coated carbon veil performed
well vs. aluminum metal mesh, with no damage to any fibers below the LSP due to the
veil's ability to distribute energy across the entire surface of the panel. This flexible,
lightweight and highly conductive LSP veil reportedly is easier to handle and repair
than aluminum mesh products and does not require an isolation layer to prevent
galvanic corrosion, simplifying fabrication and providing weight and cost advantages.

Lightning Strike Protection For Composite Structures

Composite structures are more vulnerable to damage than metal, but today's LSP
products offer proven protection.

By Ginger Gardiner | July 2006

Page: 1 2 3

Tying LSP into the aircraft system

LSP products provide sufficient protection only when adequately incorporated into an
aircraft's overall protective system — a job that sometimes tests ingenuity on the part of
the aircraft manufacturer. For example, Epic LT and Epic Jet, both with carbon
composite-airframes and built by Epic Aircraft (Bend, Ore.), feature a standard copper
mesh but incorporate an inventive element. When the composite wings, fuselage skins
and horizontal stabilizers are layed up, a copper tang (a thin or pointed projection that
serves as an attachment point) is placed as a conductive hard point within the laminate,
contacting not only the embedded copper mesh but also the bonding straps that bridge
the gap between fuselage and wing. Epic Aircraft uses a film to reduce surface porosity
caused by the copper mesh. Another innovative feature is Epic's use of conductive
adhesive to tie static wicks into the aircraft's grounded surface grid. This bonding
adhesive is modified to conduct current, and although it is not designed for lightning
strikes, it works well in providing a link to disperse static charge.

For its composites-intensive midsize 787 commercial passenger jet, The Boeing Co.
(Seattle, Wash.) has developed a multilayered approach to its lightning strike protection
strategy. Boeing plans to use a thin metal mesh or foil in the outer layers of the
composite fuselage and wings to quickly dissipate and route charge overboard and
shield onboard electronics. To avoid slight gaps between wing-skin fasteners and their
holes, which could enable sparking, Boeing will install each fastener precisely and then
seal it on the inside. Boeing will use nonconductive goop or glass fiber to seal edges
where wing skins meet internal spars in order to prevent gaps, which could permit
electrons to spray out during a lightning strike, a phenomenon referred to as "edge
glow." In the fuel tanks, Boeing will eliminate the threat of exploding fuel vapors by
installing a nitrogen-generating system (NGS) that minimizes flammable vapors in wing
tanks by filling the space with inert nitrogen gas.

Add-on LSP

Integument Technologies (Tonawanda, N.Y.) has developed a variety of polymer-based,

peel-and-stick appliqués, which can be installed on composite surfaces after
construction. One of the few products available for achieving LSP retrofit to existing
structures, the appliqués reportedly are lighter than traditional embedded mesh products
and reduce the cost and difficulty of repair. Since they are placed over the composite
surface, damage tends to be confined to the appliqué, and repairs typically can be done
without having to cut out the affected area: The portion of appliqué that is affected is
simply removed and replaced with a new appliqué section. These appliqués must be
replaced if struck by lightning, but this is common for LSP, because the resin for
embedded products typically vaporizes, necessitating repair.

Available in 6-inch/152 mm tapes and films up to 36 inches/914 mm in width, these

products also can be custom-sized to meet specific application requirements and are
typically 3 mils in thickness. Their cost ranges from $17/ft2 to $50/ft2. Current
applications include not only aircraft but wind turbine blades as well.

Lightning Diversion Systems (Huntington Beach, Calif.) has developed a thin

"conformal shield" product for composite exterior surfaces. Offering protection from
direct or indirect lightning effects, the shield is lightweight and produces a smooth
finish. Vought Aircraft and Kaman Aerospace are using the product, which is more
expensive than machined metal scrims but also can be stretched, providing enhanced
conformability to complex curvatures. The conformal shield is supplied in 24-inch by
26-inch (610 mm by 660 mm) panels and in thicknesses as low as 1 mil, in aluminum or
copper and nickel-plated versions that eliminate the risk for galvanic corrosion when
used with carbon/epoxy laminates. The firm also produces segmented lightning diverter
strips for radomes, which consist of very small diameter (0.01 inch/0.25 mm) metal
discs aligned on thin (0.005 inch to 0.010 inch or 03 mm to 0.25 mm) laminate strips.
The spacing between the discs allows the air above to ionize, safely guiding lightning in
a channel above the diverter strip. They offer permanent, multistrike protection vs. foil
products, which evaporate upon lightning impact, plus lighter weight and lower
aerodynamic drag than solid metal bars, and lower maintenance than the complex
fastener design of internal rod systems, with negligible effect on the radio frequency
(RF) patterns of enclosed radar antennas.

Source: Integument
Integument Technologies produces peel-and-stick appliqués for retrofitting composite
structures with effective lightning strike protection.

LSP for wind blades

Though ground-based, wind turbines are a natural lightning strike target, due to their
height. The blades are one of the most expensive components of a wind turbine, and the
longer the blade, the greater its risk of being struck by lightning along its surface as well
as at its edge or tip. Effects can include surface damage, delamination, cracks in leading
and trailing edges, and hidden damage that may lead to serious long-term problems and
reduced service life. When struck by lightning, an unprotected wind blade experiences
an electric arc from the point of contact, through conductive components, to the root,
reaching temperatures of up to 30,000°C (about 54,000°F) and possibly exploding the
blade. Wind turbines continue to increase in size, and those placed offshore are even
more exposed to lightning strikes than those on land.

While the above-mentioned LSP products are effective for use on wind blades, LM
Glasfiber (Lunderskov, Denmark) has developed instead its LM LightningProtection, a
unique solution for blade protection. The goal was a simple, robust system with the
same service life as the rest of the blade. It consists of receptors on the surface of the
blade, which intercept the lightning, and a conductive cable system within the blade that
carries charge to the grounded tower. The receptors are made from a special tungsten
alloy with excellent conductive qualities and resistance to intense heat. The surface of
the receptor will partly evaporate with repeated lightning strikes, but the receptor can
withstand several strikes before it needs to be replaced, which is easy due to the
receptor's simple construction.

Source: Hollingsworth & Vose

Lightning strike test results for a Kevlar composite panel protected with expanded
aluminum foil LSP (left) and one protected with the new nickel-coated carbon fiber LSP
veil from Hollingsworth & Vose (right). Both panels passed the test.

Protecting carbon composite blades presents a unique challenge, because the

semiconductive laminate is struck by lightning as frequently as the receptors.
Embedding a metal mesh in the laminate was undesirable because lightning strikes that
contact the mesh produce damage that must be inspected and repaired. "It's too
expensive to repair or replace blades on offshore wind farms," states Jesper M^nsson,
head of technical advisory services at LM Glasfiber. The company adapted the idea of
diverter strips used in aircraft radomes. The resulting segmented diverters use many
small, closely spaced air gaps that ionize in the presence of lightning to guide the
current, rather than conduct it, across the protected surface. This system required careful
design because combining metal conductors and carbon composites can create electrical
voltage potentials, as a result of the materials' differing conductivities. During a strike, a
spark can occur between these conductive parts, resulting in damaging carbonization
over time and unwanted new electrically conductive paths.

To minimize blade service/maintenance once wind turbine blades are in operation, LM

Glasfiber developed its LM BladeMonitoring system, which records not only each
incidence of lightning strike, but its maximum current, rise time and specific energy as
well. The system enables wind farm operators to have data sent directly to a computer
via a wireless connection, which then can be used to assess blade condition and
determine if the turbine was damaged. An LM BladeMonitoring prototype has been in
operation for two years, while almost 70,000 blades have been equipped with LM
LightningProtection.

Repair of protected surfaces

After a lightning strike, repairs must be done properly to regain the conductive path. A
technical paper presented at the SAMPE 2006 Symposium (Long Beach, Calif.) by Lou
Dorworth, senior instructor for Abaris Training (Reno, Nev.), concluded that current
methods of repairing LSP for composite structures with metal mesh and film adhesive
often result in surface porosity that later permits moisture ingress. After conducting a
series of repair experiments, Dorworth found that using a mesh-embedded surfacing
film reduced or eliminated surface porosity on carbon composite sandwich structure. He
also found that the optimum surface was obtained by using separate layers of mesh and
surfacing film, applied so that the film overlaps the mesh and provides an adequate fillet
around the repair edges. Compared to current methods, this approach replaces the
outermost layer of film adhesive with surfacing film in order to bond and seal the mesh-
to-mesh interface (repair patch mesh must be bonded and sealed to original surface
mesh in order to restore the conductive path).