Mechanical and tribological behaviour of epoxy composites reinforced with spent FCC catalyst

Refinery waste management is a critical procedure for mitigating the environmental impact of petroleum refining operations and is integral to supporting sustainable industrial practices, necessitating the effective treatment, recycling, and safe disposal of waste streams. This work addresses this challenge through the high-value valorization of a spent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst by incorporating it into an epoxy matrix to produce a novel composite material. Composites were fabricated with spent catalyst loadings of 5, 10, 15, and 20 weight percent (wt.%), and their mechanical and tribological properties, specifically toughness, friction, and wear resistance, were systematically investigated. The results demonstrate the successful transformation of spent FCC catalyst, a problematic industrial waste, into a functional, high-performance engineering material, establishing a viable pathway for the circular economy. Specifically, the impact strength (toughness) was dramatically improved, reaching a 120% increase at the optimal filler concentration of 5 wt.%, which identifies this concentration as critical for maximizing the composite’s toughness. Furthermore, the spent Catalyst proved highly effective as a tribological modifier, substantially reducing the wear rate of the epoxy matrix by 31% to 71.6% across the tested range of filler loadings. Although the epoxy hardness was only marginally affected, showing a maximum increase of 4% at 20 wt.%, the overall property enhancement confirms the spent Catalyst’s efficacy as a reinforcing filler, providing a sustainable waste management strategy coupled with the development of advanced materials with superior performance.