Fabrication and mechanical characterization of poly(lactic acid)/Ulex europaeus composites: a preliminary study

Preliminary findings on the fabrication of a bio-composite are presented. Polylactic acid was blended with Ulex europaeus particles, compression moulding was used to produce samples, and the mechanical properties of fabricated composites were tested. Polylactic acid reinforced with a 5% (wt) of U. europaeus attained the highest tensile strength (53.118 MPa), impact strength (1.3 kJ m⁻²) and flexural strength (101.235 MPa). Various defects, such as air bubbles and particle agglomeration, were found to be responsible for the decrease in mechanical properties. This issue should be contemplated in future studies.