Fabrication of mechanical durable novolac matrix composites with recycled and cost-effective candle-soot nano particles

Novolac matrix composites are crucial due to their exceptional resistance to heat, chemicals, and mechanical stress. These advanced materials find applications in aerospace, electronics, and automotive industries, providing high-performance solutions for components requiring superior durability and reliability. In this context, the microstructure, thermal, phase, and mechanical properties of the composites obtained as a result of the recycling-oriented reinforcement of the waste candle-soot (CS) reinforcement at the rate of 1 wt% to the pure novolac (PN) and shaping with the hot press method were examined in detail at first time in the literature. While microstructural properties and fracture mechanisms were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal properties were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results obtained provided critical findings as the composite hardness, tensile strength, and flexural strength values were 3.28, 2.47, and 3.21 times higher than PN, respectively. CS-reinforced novolac composites made a significant contribution to the literature by introducing a novel and eco-friendly approach to enhance material properties. Their use as a filler material provided insights into sustainable novolac composites, offering potential applications in various industries, such as electronics and aerospace, with improved mechanical and thermal properties.