Electro-Heating of Polymer Nanocomposites for Aeronautical Composite Structures

This work presents an approach for designing 3D-printed heaters with tunable electrical resistance by optimizing both printing and geometrical parameters. To this end, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene reinforced with carbon nanotubes (ABS-CNTs) has been processed through fused filament fabrication (FFF) in a manner that favors electrical current flow along the printing direction and enables adjustment of electrical resistance to meet the scalability needs and limitations of the power supplier available in the application field. The as-developed 3D-printed heater has been integrated into an aeronautical fiberglass composite as proof of its possible application as a de-icing system.