Biochar Prepared by Microwave-Assisted Co-Pyrolysis of Sewage Sludge and Cotton Stalk: A Potential Soil Conditioner

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Please see the file in the attachment.

 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

The English writing seems good to me. Only very small errors were detected.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Reviewer comments

Journal: Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050)

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2346718

Manuscript Title: “Biochar prepared by microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and cotton stalk: a potential soil conditioner" In the current study, the authors wrote an article about “The biochar prepared by microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and cotton stalk as a soil improver.

The topic fits well with the scope of Sustainability- MDPI, and this point is interesting but it lacks novelty, as authors have worked on the topic of the current study. The quality of the manuscript is satisfying. However, the manuscript will be deserved a major revision before consideration for publication in Sustainability- MDPI.

Please find the below comments. In addition, the authors should respond to my comments point by point.

The comments:

·        Please clarify the effect of different experimental treatments on the traits under study of the corn plant by writing numerical results or percentages in the abstract section, because this strongly supports the results and shows the importance of the current study.

·        In short sentences or sentences, the conclusion and the current study recommendation should be written at the end of the abstract part.

·        Although the graphical abstract is well designed, but it is lacking as a result of the treatment with biochar on corn plants, it is preferable to complete the shape by adding it.

·        Keywords: Microwave-assisted pyrolysis；Co-pyrolysis；Sewage sludge; Coton stalk；Biochar. “I suggest rephrasing these words because keywords should not repeat words from the title.

·        Please insert the research problem and the object of conducting it in the form of simplified sentences at the end of the introduction part

·        The materials and methods part are well written and detailed, while some parts only need a linguistic revision

·        L 38-39:” Pyrolysis technology attracts many researchers’ attention due to its potential ability of meeting both environmental and economic needs. The biochar generated from pyrolysis has a great potential for different applications” Pls add relevant recent references.

·        L 51-54: “This makes the microwave pyrolysis potentially perform better for the treatment of sewage sludge to make high quality biochar. Furthermore, co-pyrolysis of high-moisture sewage sludge with other dry agricultural and forestry waste can alleviate the difficult in pretreating (e.g., drying) of sewage sludge”, Pls add relevant recent references.

·        L 95: what do you mean by “PLC”?

·        Fig. 1., 2. ……9 have to be Figure (1), (2), ……etc.

·        L: 116, 164, 378,379 and 381: modify bio-char to biochar.

·        L 273 (three times), 402, 403, 438, ……: “mg/kg” change to mg kg^-1, please pay attention to this comment in the entire manuscript.

·        Material and methods: well written However, there are no supporting references for the methods used, especially with regard to analytical methods. Therefore, all parts of this section (materials and methods) must be supported by recent supporting references.

·        The only point that greatly weakens the materials and methods part is the absence of any written part about the statistical analysis of the results obtained, and this is one of the most important critical points of the current study.

·        L …..109, 110, ……450 109 °C, 550 °C, 650 °C and 750 °C, modify to 450 109, 550, 650 and 750 °C, pls pay attention to this comment in the entire manuscript.

·        Results and discussion: Although the results of this MS are long, the results presented are clearly presented. However, there is no indicator in the tables or all the figures indicating the significance of the results and the extent to which the reader follows and knows whether or not the results are significant.

·        Please unify the use of "Fig." and "figure".

·        The quality and clarity of the figures is not good. This journal is open access and its publication is paid, meaning that the columns of all figures can be modified to different colors that show the difference between the results of transactions and be more clear and understandable.

·        L 386: wage sludge (SC), The abbreviation should be used after the full term. Please be consistent with usage of all abbreviations. Please pay attention to this comment in the entire manuscript. Thoroughly check the typos, syntax errors, and appropriate uses of full forms and their abbreviation. Pls revise the abbreviations in the whole part of MS.

·        The result should be discussed from the authors’ point of view, with the help of previous articles in this regard.

·        In the results and discussion section, conjunctions should be used to show the relationship between sentences.

·        The ‘discussion’ is quite comprehensive; however, the authors should consider more about logic of the current work.

·        Discussion and data analysis could dig a bit more into the mechanisms. Please, make an effort to synthesize the text avoiding redundancies and repetitions in the discussion

·        Conclusions: Well written  

·        References: Cross-check all the references for mistakes and follow the journal style of reference input. For example: Salomatov, V. v.; Karelin, V.A.; Salomatov, V. v. Mathematical Models of Microwave Heating of a Coal Mass with Release of 500 Absorbed Energy by the Heat Radiation Law. Journal of Engineering Thermophysics 2016, 25, 485–494, 501 doi:10.1134/S1810232816040056.

·        Scientific names must be written in italics in the entire manuscript “for example, Oryza Sativa L., in line 513, Triticum Aestivum in line 519 and Lycopersicon Esculentum in line 522, Phaseolus Vulgaris in line 530.

·        Adjust the authors names “LIN, Z.; LIU, Q.; LIU, G.; COWIE, A.L.; BEI, Q.; LIU, B.; WANG, X.; MA, J.; ZHU, J.; XIE, Z.”

·        L 555: N2O and CH4, have to N₂O and CH₄ (subscript).

    

Comments for author File: Comments.docx

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Reviewer comments-R2

Journal: Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050)

Manuscript ID: sustainability-2346718

Manuscript Title: “Biochar prepared by microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and cotton stalk: a potential soil conditioner" In the current study, the authors wrote an article about “The biochar prepared by microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and cotton stalk as a soil improver.

Comments:

Dear Editor-in-Chief

 

The modifications of that manuscript were revised, and it was noted that the authors responded to most of my previous comments a while ago. Here, that manuscript has been improved and is now fit for publication in Sustainability -MDPI.

 

 

Comments for author File: Comments.docx