Investigation of the mechanical and physical properties of PLA produced by injection molding for matrix material of polymer composites

Polymer materials are increasingly being used due to their superior properties such as light weight, low cost and corrosion resistance. The difficult destruction of highly advantageous polymers in the environment leads to environmental problems and has some disadvantages as they are obtained from exhausted sources such as oil. These problems brought new quests and biopolymers derived from renewable sources came to the forefront. In this study, mechanical and physical test results applied to PLA, which is biopolymer and their use as matrix are investigated. Mechanical tests show that PLA, which has a tensile strength of 46.88 MPa, an impact strength of 9.27 kJ/m2 and a hardness of 79.6 Shore D, can be used as a substitute for polymers derived from petroleum-based sources.