Compressive Properties of Ridge Gourd/Phenolic Composites and Ridge Gourd/Phenolic/Glass Hybrid Composites

Ridge gourd/phenolic and ridge gourd/phenolic/glass hybrid composites were prepared using resol resin PF-108 as the matrix, the twin layered vegetable fabric ridge gourd (without and with alkali treatment) as the reinforcement and glass fabric as a co-reinforcement. The compressive strength, the modulus of untreated and alkali treated ridge gourd fabric reinforced phenolic composites and the ridge gourd and glass fabric reinforced phenolic hybrid composites in the absence and presence of two coupling agents were also determined. The interfacial bonding between the components of these composites was examined by scanning electron microscopy.