Mechanical, Viscoelastic, Thermal and Morphological Properties of Hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN)-Doped Polyester Nano-Gelcoat Under Hydrothermal Aging

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites used in marine environments suffer progressive degradation due to hydrothermal aging, which undermines their structural, physical and morphological integrity. In this study, a novel polyester-based nano-gelcoat reinforced with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanoparticles was developed as an advanced FRP composite coating for marine applications. Glass fiber/epoxy laminates coated with h-BN/polyester nano-gelcoat were subjected to accelerated hydrothermal aging (immersion in 80 °C artificial seawater for 90 days). Mechanical (tensile/flexural tests), viscoelastic (creep and stress relaxation), thermal (DSC/TGA), and morphological (optical microscopy/SEM) analyses were performed on aged and unaged samples. The h-BN-enhanced nano-gelcoat increased the composite's resistance to hydrothermal aging. In particular, the optimally doped nano-gelcoat (~1 wt% h-BN) retained the highest tensile and flexural strength and modulus, reducing the property losses seen in the unreinforced system by about half (flexural strength 531.29 MPa vs. 1070.52 MPa for the uncoated laminate). Thermal analysis indicated elevated decomposition onset temperatures and higher char yields with h-BN, confirming improved thermal stability. Morphological observations revealed well-dispersed h-BN at 1 wt% with minimal microcracking, whereas higher filler loadings led to agglomeration. Additionally, a TOPSIS-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) analysis was performed across mechanical, viscoelastic, and thermal metrics, which identified the 1 wt% h-BN coating as the most balanced formulation after hydrothermal aging.