Graphene and Its Derivatives in Aerospace Composites: A Critical Review of Multifunctional Architectures

Modern aerospace composites still fall short in two respects, electrical conductivity and thermal dissipation, each a real constraint on multifunctional performance and each difficult to correct without a substantial weight penalty. Graphene, a two‐dimensional sp ² ‐carbon allotrope, has drawn sustained interest as a nanofiller for exactly this reason, owing to its high intrinsic electrical and thermal conductivity and mechanical stiffness. However, these single‐sheet values are rarely realized in processed composite form, and we cite them here only as the field’s underlying motivation, not as composite‐level performance. This review evaluates the performance actually reported at the composite level, across polymer, metal, and ceramic matrix systems incorporating graphene and its derivatives, spanning eight aerospace‐critical functions: tribological performance, EMI shielding, electrical conductivity, thermal management, structural health monitoring, lightning strike protection, anti‐/deicing, and fire retardancy. Individual studies demonstrate strong but system‐specific benchmarks under distinct conditions: EMI shielding reaches 105 dB in GNS‐reinforced Mg laminates, while 3D graphene architectures exceed 80 dB at densities below 0.06 g·cm ⁻³ . Lightning protection reduced damage by 94%, whereas graphene foam/PDMS improved deicing efficiency by 477% relative to other nanocarbon systems. Piezoresistive rGO sensors achieved gauge factors of 16,000 over limited strain ranges. Graphene‐rich architectures reached ∼800 W·m ⁻¹ K ⁻¹ thermal conductivity, while coated systems improved wear resistance by 88%. Moreover, it is noted that, in the domains where the comparison has been reported in the literature, 3D graphene architectures generally outperform dispersed 2D graphene by limiting agglomeration and restacking, though pore collapse, defective junctions, and uneven matrix infiltration remain real, unresolved limitations. To our knowledge, this review is among the few to examine all eight domains under one architectural framework, while identifying the research gaps specific to each application.