Fabrication, thermal, mechanical, and piezoelectric characterization of PLA/BT piezocomposites

Abstract The properties of polylactide (PLA) composites containing up to 40 vol% of barium titanate (BT) powder were investigated. PLA/BT composites were fabricated using twin-screw extrusion, which ensured uniform filler dispersion. The results demonstrated that increasing the BT content in PLA improved the thermal stability, stiffness, and degree of crystallinity of the composite. The piezoelectric coefficient d33 also increased with higher BT content and longer polarization times, reaching a maximum value of 35 pC/N for composites containing 40 vol% BT. Additionally, the studies revealed that the d33 coefficient is pressure dependent. Presented PLA/BT piezocomposites highlight the suitability of these materials for applications that require both biocompatibility and piezoelectric functionality, including regenerative medicine, energy harvesting, soft robotics, and electroactive biomedical devices.