Development and Performance Study of Composite Protein Foaming Agent Based on Human Hair Residue

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This research used human hair residue as raw material to prepare a composite protein foaming agent, determined the optimal active agent, foam stabilizer, and dosage for reasonable hydrolysis solution, and used this foaming agent to prepare foamed concrete with high strength and high permeability. I am very grateful for the efforts made by the author in conducting this study and writing the manuscript. However, this paper is poorly organized and not recommended for sustainability publication. I encourage the author to address the following issues and consider resubmitting a revised version of the manuscript for future consideration.

1. The abstract is too long. Please rewrite it.

2. The introduction does not highlight the key points. Please rewrite it. The second paragraph of the introduction is just a pile of chemical foaming and physical foaming literature, which is not very meaningful. The focus should be on the use of human hair residue to prepare foaming agents.

3. Please confirm whether the reference format is correct, such as the person's name.

4. Pay attention to the space between the value and the unit

5. On page 4, line 139, 5g/l should be 5g/L.

5. On page 4, line 123, 1 hour is changed to 1 h.

6. Page 6, line 180, punctuation error.

7. Page 4, line 120, Figure 1 is changed to Fig. 1.

8. Please add dimensions for Figures 12 and 13.

9. It is recommended that the test method and pictures be included in Section 1.

10. Please provide the porosity of the specimen.

11. On page 13, line 319, it is recommended to present the data in the reference in the form of pictures, which is more intuitive.

12. On page 14, line 349, (3) The foam content showed a positive correlation with compressive strength and a negative correlation with porosity. Please confirm carefully.

Author Response

Dear editors,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the editorial team for their revision suggestions. I have addressed and explained each suggestion one by one (highlighted in yellow in the text). Due to equipment and time constraints, some modifications may not be as precise as desired, and certain content cannot be included in this revision. We plan to conduct experimental research on this aspect in the future. I hope the editorial team can understand. Finally, I apologize for the delayed submission of the revised version.

Thank you to all the reviewers.

This research used human hair residue as raw material to prepare a composite protein foaming agent, determined the optimal active agent, foam stabilizer, and dosage for reasonable hydrolysis solution, and used this foaming agent to prepare foamed concrete with high strength and high permeability. I am very grateful for the efforts made by the author in conducting this study and writing the manuscript. However, this paper is poorly organized and not recommended for sustainability publication. I encourage the author to address the following issues and consider resubmitting a revised version of the manuscript for future consideration.

1.The abstract is too long. Please rewrite it.

The abstract has been carefully revised as requested, and the word count has been limited to within 250 words.

2. The introduction does not highlight the key points. Please rewrite it. The second paragraph of the introduction is just a pile of chemical foaming and physical foaming literature, which is not very meaningful. The focus should be on the use of human hair residue to prepare foaming agents.

It has been explained in the introduction that the preparation of foaming agents from human hair waste is innovative.

3. Please confirm whether the reference format is correct, such as the person's name.

The incorrect citation formats have been corrected, and the accuracy of the citation formats, including the names of individuals, has been confirmed.

4. Pay attention to the space between the value and the unit

The distance between values and units has been noted and modified. All spacing between numbers and units has been corrected.

5. On page 4, line 139, 5g/l should be 5g/L.

The correction has been made, changing 5g/l to 5g/L.

5. On page 4, line 123, 1 hour is changed to 1 h.

The correction has been made, changing "1 hour" to "1 h".

6. Page 6, line 180, punctuation error.

The punctuation on line 180 has been corrected.

7. Page 4, line 120, Figure 1 is changed to Fig. 1.

The correction has been made, changing "Figure 1" to "Fig. 1".

8. Please add dimensions for Figures 12 and 13.

The size has been set to 0.1 mm, and the annotation has been corrected in Fig. 13.

9. It is recommended that the test method and pictures be included in Section 1.

The testing methods have been described in the first section, while the procedures, images, and data analysis are presented in the second section.

10. Please provide the porosity of the specimen.

The porosity of the sample has been clearly annotated in the first column of Fig. 10.

11. On page 13, line 319, it is recommended to present the data in the reference in the form of pictures, which is more intuitive.

The data from the references have been presented in the form of images and compared with those in this paper.

Table 3 Comparison of Specimen Properties in This Study with Other Specimens

Researcher	Sample	Preparation Method	Foaming Agent	Compressive Strength (MPa)	Permeability (MD)	Porosity (%)
Yue Wenping	——	Chemical Foaming	H2O2	14	——	——
Guo Yisong	——	Chemical Foaming	Plant Protein	1.52	——	——
Gao Zhihan	——	Physical Foaming	——	16	——	——
This Study	Sample A	——	——	>11	——	——
This Study	Sample B	——	25ml Compound Foaming Agent	13.665	2.48	18.141
This Study	Sample C	——	——	>11	——	——
Low-Rank Coal	——	——	——	——	10-3~10-5 MD	——
High-Rank Coal	——	——	——	——	10-7~10-9 MD	——

12. On page 14, line 349, (3) The foam content showed a positive correlation with compressive strength and a negative correlation with porosity. Please confirm carefully.

We apologize for the oversight. It has been corrected to state that the foam content shows a negative correlation with compressive strength and a positive correlation with porosity.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1.     Please revise the abstract and reduce the content to 250 words with more effective aims of the study and main results.

2.     Avoid any new abbreviations in the abstract.

3.     Line 34, page 1, needs revision.

4.     Please avoid numbering in the abstract.

5.     Please refer to Page 2, lines 66 to 73, and support your gap of study with more previous studies.

6.     Please update and revise the introduction section and identify the gaps in the current study at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.109374.  

7.     Please, section of MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIMENTAL METHOD need more revision such as material characterization and specification of raw materials.

8.     Page 5, could you provide more details on why these specific surfactants were chosen, and how their combination was optimized for foam performance?

9.     Fig. 1 was not discussed carefully in the text.

10.  Please, the testing section was missed.

11. Please note that the study reports that sodium hydroxide was found to be more effective than calcium hydroxide in hydrolyzing the protein in human hair waste, while the current study in the manuscript is not support that (revise).

 

12.  Finally, considering the results in compressive strength and permeability, what are the next steps or future research directions for scaling up this technology or exploring other potential applications beyond drilling protection?

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Moderate editing of English language required

Author Response

1. Please revise the abstract and reduce the content with 250 words with more effective aims of study and main results.

The abstract has been carefully revised as requested, and the word count has been limited to within 250 words.

2. Avoid any new abbreviations in the abstract.

I have corrected all the abbreviations in the abstract.

3. Line 34 page 1, need revise.

Revised.

4. Please avoid numbering in the abstract.

The numbering in the abstract has been removed.

5. Please refer to Page 2, lines 66 to 73, support your gap of study with more previous studies.

More references have been applied to support the arguments of my paper and highlight the differences with other specimens.

6. Please update and revise the introduction section and identify the gaps in the current study as https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.109374.

The introduction section has been updated and revised to include more reference data to highlight the gaps in the research.

7. Please, section of MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIMENTAL METHOD need more revision such as material characterization and specification of raw materials.

This part has been modified and added in section 1.31.3 Modification and Compounding of blowing Agents.

8. Page 5, could you provide more details on why these specific surfactants were chosen, and how their combination was optimized for foam performance?

The role of surfactants is to improve the wettability of foaming agents, making it easier for bubbles to form and enhancing their stability. Foam stabilizers, on the other hand, increase the strength and stability of bubbles, preventing them from breaking and merging. Common protein foaming agent modifiers include hydroxyethyl cellulose, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, polyvinyl alcohol-polyacrylamide compounds (such as polyvinylamide), polyurethane compounds (such as polyethylene glycol polyether), polyamide compounds (such as polyacrylamide), and polyether compounds (such as polyethylene glycol). Common foam stabilizers include gelatin, gum arabic, and calcium stearate. These surfactants and stabilizers significantly improve the performance of foaming agents, enhancing foam stability and thus improving the performance of foamed concrete.

The composite testing is primarily conducted to preliminarily determine the types and dosage ranges of surfactants to finalize the foaming agent formulation. Initial pre-tests are conducted with a broader range of selected subjects and relatively simple steps, mainly to identify which surfactants can modify the base foaming agent solution.

Anionic surfactants increase foam volume, while anionic foam stabilizers maintain foam stability.

9. Fig. 1 was not discussed carefully in the text.

Corresponding modifications are made in Section 1.2 of the paper.

10. Please, testing section was missed.

The specific experimental testing process is detailed in section 1.2, with careful revisions to include more accurate testing procedures.

11. Please, the study reports that the sodium hydroxide was found to be more effective than calcium hydroxide in hydrolyzing the protein in human hair waste, while the current study in the manuscript is not support that (revise).

In the first part, the research process is explained. In the results and discussion section 2.1 of the second part of the paper, it has been shown that the hydrolysis rate of NaOH is significantly higher than that of Ca(OH)₂.

12. Finally, considering the results in compressive strength and permeability, what are the next steps or future research directions for scaling up this technology or exploring other potential applications beyond drilling protection?

The high-performance extraction borehole protection material prepared in this paper has certain reference significance in the field of coal mine filling. In the future, the following two points can be combined for further research:

(1) The steps of preparing compound protein blowing agent are too complicated, and the site is not easy to construct, which needs to be further optimized. In the future, it can be considered to optimize the process flow of hydrolyzed protein, reduce cumbersome operations and steps, and achieve a more efficient and simplified hydrolyzed human hair process by controlling reaction conditions. As for the compound foaming agent, the price of the improved compound drugs and foam stabilizer is high, which leads to the high production cost. In the formulation design of compound foaming agents, alternative drugs and foam stabilizers can be sought to reduce costs and maintain performance.

(2) Currently commonly used grouting materials mainly include concrete, polymer materials, etc. Future research can explore new materials, such as high-strength fiber materials, composite materials, etc., to improve strength and durability. Future research can explore more efficient and accurate grouting process, including the optimization of injection pressure and speed control, in order to improve the grouting effect and construction efficiency. Combined with intelligent technology, such as sensors, data acquisition and analysis, real-time monitoring and evaluation of screen and grouting collaborative protection system is carried out to achieve dynamic monitoring and early warning of borehole stability and improve the safety of the protection system.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper explores the application of composite protein foaming agents based on human hair residues in foam concrete, presenting a certain level of innovation and practical application value. However, several key areas need further improvement. Below are specific revision suggestions:

1)    The paper’s theme revolves around the application of human hair residues in foaming agents, yet the discussion on hair residues is minimal throughout. It is recommended to add detailed descriptions of the composition and material properties of human hair residues, including but not limited to protein content and structural characteristics.

2)    The current paper provides insufficient background information, engineering application value, and economic significance. It is suggested to enrich the introduction with a detailed background, explaining the feasibility of using human hair residues and their potential advantages in foaming agents, and emphasizing their significance in cost reduction, environmental protection, and resource utilization.

3)    It is recommended to focus on the analysis of the composition and material properties of human hair residues in Section 1, providing necessary experimental data and analytical methods. The paper should detail the phase composition, mix design, and performance indicators of the foaming agent and foam concrete. It is advisable to include the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and provide relevant experimental data and spectra.

4)    The figures in the paper (e.g., Figures 1, 2, 3) are too rough and lack professionalism and mechanistic explanations. It is suggested to redraw these figures, enhance clarity and information content, and provide detailed explanations and analyses.

5)    In section 2, it is important to analyze the effects of human hair residues on the porosity of foam concrete, conducting quantitative and model analyses, providing quantitative relationship formulas, and proposing an optimal dosage threshold model based on the workability and porosity of foam concrete.

6)    It is recommended to quantify the relationship between the dosage of human hair residues and the strength of foam concrete, conducting modeling and quantitative analyses, determining the optimal dosage parameters, and proposing a model formula for the strength index of foam concrete based on the dosage of human hair residues and the optimal dosage threshold parameters.

7)    Lack of Microstructural Analysis: The paper should delve into the microstructural morphology of foam concrete, providing numerical and mechanistic explanations and analyses, enhancing the understanding of foam concrete’s structural characteristics at the microscopic scale.

8)    The Abstract and Conclusion should present key findings from the study, providing quantitative indicators to highlight the practical application value and scientific significance of the research results.

9)    In the Introduction, it is recommended to expand the discussion on the modification and enhancement effects of human hair residues on other types of concrete, elaborating from the perspectives of material properties, mechanical behavior, and microstructure. Referencing and citing relevant literature can improve the quality and breadth of the article:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.137009

 

10) The abstract should be refined to show the primary conclusion of this study. It is suggested to emphasize the research focus of the paper, such as research background, research purpose, research methods, main research work, engineering application significance, etc.

11) The quoted articles should be discussed one by one, and do not quote several articles at a time in the text. In addition, In the introduction section, the author should further highlight the shortage of the previous investigation and the innovation of this study, which is important for a scientific paper.

12)  The paper lacks a section on the significance of the study, which should be supplemented.

13) The conclusions need to be refined and improved. The innovative work and main findings of this study should be emphasized in the conclusions. Avoid including excessive details and preferably express the points using numbering, such as 1), 2), 3), etc. It is advisable to limit the conclusions to no more than four concise statements.

Author Response

Dear editors,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the editorial team for their revision suggestions. I have addressed and explained each suggestion one by one (highlighted in yellow in the text). Due to equipment and time constraints, some modifications may not be as precise as desired, and certain content cannot be included in this revision. We plan to conduct experimental research on this aspect in the future. I hope the editorial team can understand. Finally, I apologize for the delayed submission of the revised version.

Thank you to all the reviewers.

This part has been added to the conclusion part, and can be deleted if it does not need to be written in the paper

1)    The paper’s theme revolves around the application of human hair residues in foaming agents, yet the discussion on hair residues is minimal throughout. It is recommended to add detailed descriptions of the composition and material properties of human hair residues, including but not limited to protein content and structural characteristics.

Human hair waste is commonly found in daily life, and most of it is not effectively processed, leading to wastage. This experiment aims to utilize waste materials, resulting in relatively low experimental costs. Using human hair waste as a raw material for composite foaming agents in foamed concrete can achieve resource reutilization and reduce environmental pollution. Hair has several advantages, including wide availability, non-toxicity, ease of preservation, high elemental content, and good mechanical properties. As a raw material for the base liquid of foaming agents, human hair waste demonstrates good foaming ability, high foam stability, low cost, and high safety.

2)    The current paper provides insufficient background information, engineering application value, and economic significance. It is suggested to enrich the introduction with a detailed background, explaining the feasibility of using human hair residues and their potential advantages in foaming agents, and emphasizing their significance in cost reduction, environmental protection, and resource utilization.

Human hair waste is commonly found in daily life, and most of it is not effectively processed, leading to wastage. This experiment aims to utilize waste materials, resulting in relatively low experimental costs. Using human hair waste as a raw material for composite foaming agents in foamed concrete can achieve resource reutilization and reduce environmental pollution. Hair has several advantages, including wide availability, non-toxicity, ease of preservation, high elemental content, and good mechanical properties. As a raw material for the base liquid of foaming agents, human hair waste demonstrates good foaming ability, high foam stability, low cost, and high safety.

3)    It is recommended to focus on the analysis of the composition and material properties of human hair residues in Section 1, providing necessary experimental data and analytical methods. The paper should detail the phase composition, mix design, and performance indicators of the foaming agent and foam concrete. It is advisable to include the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and provide relevant experimental data and spectra.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but due to the limitations of our school’s equipment, we are unable to conduct further detailed experiments. Thank you for your valuable suggestions. Due to the limited time available for revisions and the lack of necessary equipment, we are unable to include this content in the current revision. However, we plan to conduct experimental research on this aspect in the future.

4)    The figures in the paper (e.g., Figures 1, 2, 3) are too rough and lack professionalism and mechanistic explanations. It is suggested to redraw these figures, enhance clarity and information content, and provide detailed explanations and analyses.

The image clarity has been improved and further corrections have been made.

5)    In section 2, it is important to analyze the effects of human hair residues on the porosity of foam concrete, conducting quantitative and model analyses, providing quantitative relationship formulas, and proposing an optimal dosage threshold model based on the workability and porosity of foam concrete.

The article uses the orthogonal experiment to determine the optimal specimen mix ratio for compressive strength and permeability.

6)    It is recommended to quantify the relationship between the dosage of human hair residues and the strength of foam concrete, conducting modeling and quantitative analyses, determining the optimal dosage parameters, and proposing a model formula for the strength index of foam concrete based on the dosage of human hair residues and the optimal dosage threshold parameters.

I sincerely apologize. This experiment was conducted according to the results obtained from the orthogonal test, making it difficult to establish a model based on human hair waste and strength. Future research will include further studies in this area.

7)    Lack of Microstructural Analysis: The paper should delve into the microstructural morphology of foam concrete, providing numerical and mechanistic explanations and analyses, enhancing the understanding of foam concrete’s structural characteristics at the microscopic scale.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but due to the limitations of our school’s equipment, we are unable to conduct further detailed experiments. Thank you for your valuable suggestions. Due to the limited time available for revisions and the lack of necessary equipment, we are unable to include this content in the current revision. However, we plan to conduct experimental research on this aspect in the future.

8)    The Abstract and Conclusion should present key findings from the study, providing quantitative indicators to highlight the practical application value and scientific significance of the research results.

The corrections have been made in the abstract and introduction, highlighting its scientific nature.

9)    In the Introduction, it is recommended to expand the discussion on the modification and enhancement effects of human hair residues on other types of concrete, elaborating from the perspectives of material properties, mechanical behavior, and microstructure. Referencing and citing relevant literature can improve the quality and breadth of the article:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.137009

The abstract and introduction sections have been revised, and a more in-depth analysis of the reference documents has been conducted. Thank you for your valuable suggestions. Due to the limited time available for revisions and the lack of necessary equipment, we are unable to include this content in the current revision. However, we plan to conduct experimental research on this aspect in the future.

 10) The abstract should be refined to show the primary conclusion of this study. It is suggested to emphasize the research focus of the paper, such as research background, research purpose, research methods, main research work, engineering application significance, etc.

The abstract has been shortened to highlight the research background, research objectives, research methods, main research work, and engineering significance.

11) The quoted articles should be discussed one by one, and do not quote several articles at a time in the text. In addition, In the introduction section, the author should further highlight the shortage of the previous investigation and the innovation of this study, which is important for a scientific paper.

The cited references are primarily used for later comparison, and the data from these references have already been compared with the data in this paper in the subsequent sections.

12)  The paper lacks a section on the significance of the study, which should be supplemented.

The significance of the research has been rewritten in the last paragraph of the introduction.

13) The conclusions need to be refined and improved. The innovative work and main findings of this study should be emphasized in the conclusions. Avoid including excessive details and preferably express the points using numbering, such as 1), 2), 3), etc. It is advisable to limit the conclusions to no more than four concise statements.

The conclusion has been revised to emphasize the innovations and main findings of this study. Numbering such as 1), 2), 3) has been used to present the points clearly.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript has been revised. It can be accepted

Author Response

Dear Editor,
Thank you very much for your review. In the future, I will continue to improve!
Finally, thank you very much for your valuable suggestions and best wishes for you!

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Accept

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Improve the language.

Author Response

Dear Editor,
Thank you very much for your review, I have made improvements to the English grammar and language questions, and clearly articulated the study design, questions, hypotheses, and methods.
Finally, thank you very much for your valuable suggestions and best wishes for you!

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have addressed all the comments, and this manuscript is suggested to be accepted as is.

Author Response

Dear Editor,
Thank you very much for your review. In the future, I will continue to improve!
Finally, thank you very much for your valuable suggestions and best wishes for you!