Energy-Efficient Preparation of Polymer Composite Materials via Electric-Field-Assisted In Situ Polymerization

Polymer composites combine two or more materials’ properties into a single material with properties superior to their constituents. Currently, the fabrication of polymer composite preparation is energy-demanding and often requires a longer processing time. To address this challenge, polymer composites are prepared via electric-field-assisted room-temperature curing of thiol–ene monomers facilitated by the inverse piezoelectric effect of ZnO particles. The result is composite fabrication at a low AC electric field of ∼0.1–0.6 kV cm^–1 in 30 min. The piezoelectric ZnO rods grown/deposited on fiberglass fabric convert thiol into thiyl radicals when activated under an electric field, initiating polymerization and facilitating the polymer composite. The polymer composites are also prepared using commercial ZnO nanoparticles with fiberglass and cotton fabrics. Further, the method’s potential to prepare polymer composites for direct practical applications is demonstrated by preparing corrugated, laminated, and large-area fiberglass fabric composites. Thus, the scalable electric field-assisted polymer composite preparation method could be used with various substrates to prepare a variety of polymer composites with meager energy demands. With an energy consumption of 70.8 nJ cm^–3, this is among the least energy-intensive methods of rapid composite preparation. This energy- and time-efficient polymer composite preparation method could improve sustainability and has potential for technological adaptation.