Flexural and Compressive Properties of Bamboo and Glass Fiber-reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composites

The flexural, compressive properties of bamboo/glass fiber-reinforced epoxy hybrid composites were studied. The effect of alkali treatment of the bamboo fibers on these properties was also studied. It was observed that both flexural and compressive properties of the hybrid composite increase with glass fiber content. These properties were found to be higher when alkali-treated bamboo fibers were used in the hybrid composites. The elimination of amorphous hemi-cellulose with alkali treatment leading to higher crystallinity of the bamboo fibers with alkali treatment may be responsible for these observations.