CONTACT RESISTANCE IN UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBER COMPOSITE MATERIALS AS A FUNCTION OF FORCE

摘要

Contact resistance between metal and carbon fiber composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) plays an important role in understanding current flow, heating, and damage of these materials under electrical loads. Contact resistance between isotropic conductors, such as most clean metals, is typically proportional to the inverse of the square root of force applied to the contact. Boeing test data support the metal-to-metal relationship, but it does not appear to apply to the contact resistance between metal and carbon fiber composite under increasing force. This paper describes the derivation of a new equation for contact resistance as a function of force in metal to unidirectional CFRP contacts and compares it with test data.