Effect of Mechanical Vibration on Microstructure and Properties of Laser Cladding WC-Reinforced Nickel-Based Alloy Coatings

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

After reviewing the paper, it is discovered the aim of the paper is to study the Effect of Mechanical Vibration on Microstructure and Properties of Laser Cladding process. The material studied is based on Nickel-based alloy coating.  Their knowledge contribution including of reporting on the product outcome both with and without vibration, microstructure evaluation based on optical microscopy and SEM, and phase composition, and also properties study. This process offers knowledge contribution in laser cladding technology.

 

General comments –

There are several improvements required:

Improvement / improvise on abstract sentence – ‘Results show that compared with the coating did not apply mechanical vibration, applying mechanical vibration can make the organization of crystal small, originally the coarse dendritic structure into a small fine acicular structure, fine particle size decrease gradually.’

 

Improvement / improvise on abstract sentence – ‘ The application of vibration helps to improve the effect of grain refinement, vibration make the refinement of grain size distribution more uniform, which make the microhardness of the cladding layer fluctuations decrease.

 

Improvement / improvise on abstract sentence – The experimental results show that when the vibration frequency is 150Hz, the microstructure is the best uniform, the average friction coefficient of the coating is the lowest, the wear width is the smallest, the microhardness is the highest, and the mechanical properties are the best.

 

Improvement / improvise on introduction sentence (line 38 to 43)– Because of laser cladding technology can make the price lower plate and cladding powder form high hardness, high wear resistance corrosion and high temperature oxidation resistance and other characteristics of a good metallurgical combination, at the same time also can make the matrix thermal deformation is small, the cladding layer dilution rate is low, so they are widely used in improving metal surface strengthening and repair again

 

Improvement / improvise on introduction sentence (line 49 to 51) - The uniform distribution of particles on the surface of cladding layer can significantly improve the wear resistance of cladding layer, so it is an ideal hard phase material for cladding layer

 

Improvement / improvise on introduction sentence  (line 59 to 60) - The ultrasonic vibration can accelerate the flow speed of the liquid in the molten pool, make the element distribution uniform,

 

Improvement / improvise on introduction sentence (line 66 to 67) In addition, some researchers at home and abroad have introduced external electromagnetic field into laser cladding,

 

Improvement / rephrase on materials and method sentence (line 78 to 81)

Improvement / rephrase on materials and method sentence (line 101 to 103)

Improvement / rephrase on materials and method sentence (line 105 to 107)

Improvement rephrase on materials and method sentence (line 109 to 112)

Figure 2 can be improved by proper labelling

Improvement / rephrase on materials and method sentence (line 116 to 123)

Improvement / rephrase on materials and method sentence (line 123 to 125)

Improvement / rephrase on Result and Discussion sentence (line 157 to 162)

Improvement / rephrase on Result and Discussion sentence (line 164)

Improvement / rephrase on Result and Discussion sentence (line 177 to 178). The point is not clear

Improvement / rephrase on Result and Discussion sentence (line 203 to 206)

Improvement / rephrase on Result and Discussion sentence (line 212 to 214)

Improvement / rephrase on Result and Discussion sentence (line 222 to 227)

Improvement / rephrase on Result and Discussion sentence (line 237 to 240)

 

 

 

 

Author explain well about processing parameter and its effect on microstructure, wear, hardness, elemental and phase distribution. However, it is better if the effect of vibration on diffusion mechanism (if any due to laser processing and segregation can be relate to overall study.

 The methodology was discussed appropriately.

In general, the manuscript is clear. But there is improvement or rephrase required as per attached above (refer to each line).  and presented well. Recent references were cited and there is no excessive number of self-citation discovered. Based on the methodology given, the process can be repeated and expected result is reproducible. The conclusions is also consistent with the evidence and presented argument

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The study proposes a method for preparing Ni-WC composite coatings on 35CrMoV alloy surface by utilizing mechanical vibration field assisted laser cladding technology. The methodology appears to be robust, and the results are effectively communicated with a clear interpretation. However, the paper would benefit from additional proofreading and editing to improve the English language quality. Additionally, the pixel quality of some of the figures, specifically figures 10, 11, and 12, should be enhanced for better comprehension.

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors explore the microstructure, wear resistance and mechanical properties of Ni-WC composite coating on 35CrMoV alloy as a function of the vibration frequency of a mechanical vibration assisted laser cladding. The authors have used standard tools to characterize the microstructure and the mechanical properties coming to a conclusion that at 150Hz the best properties are attained and these are repeatable.

Comments/Questions

1. English needs to be heavily edited as it is very difficult to understand what the authors are trying to communicate especially in the Introduction section

2. What is title of section 2.3 trying to say?

3. Fig. 3 is very blurred and it is impossible to compare between what is said in the text and the figures.

4. Overall the quality of figures are not good and it is difficult to understand them as many of the are difficult to read.

5. Fig. 10 (b) - error bars are missing and zero is suppressed. The change might just be within experimental errors.

6. XRD does not specifically point to any variation. What does this figure contribute to overall understanding?

7. From Fig. 9 the authors claim that overall distribution of Ni, Si and W is homogenized at 150 and 300 Hz. It is not clear how such a conclusion was drawn?

8.No error bar in average microhardness and zero is suppressed.

9. The reasons for the microhardness increase at 150Hz in comparison to 300 Hz is not discussed. is it a fucntion of powder size used? or any other parameter of the laser cladding method?

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors have addressed most of the issues pointed out and hence the manuscript can be accepted for publication.