Next Article in Journal
Effect of Micro-Dimple Texture on the Tribological Performance of Brass with Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coating under Oil-Lubricated Conditions
Next Article in Special Issue
Pull-Off Strength and Mechanical Energy Dissipation in Adhesive Contacts: Experiments and Simulations
Previous Article in Journal
The Effect of Steaming Beech, Birch and Maple Woods on Qualitative Indicators of the Surface
Previous Article in Special Issue
Tribological and Corrosion Performance of CrAlN/CrN Coatings in Artificial Seawater under Varied Nitrogen Pressures
 
 
Article
Peer-Review Record

The Influence of Boron and Carbon Addition on the Glass Formation and Mechanical Properties of High Entropy (Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mo)-(B, C) Glassy Alloys

Coatings 2024, 14(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010118
by Fanli Kong 1, Akihisa Inoue 1,2,*, Fang Wang 2,* and Chuntao Chang 2
Reviewer 2:
Reviewer 3: Anonymous
Coatings 2024, 14(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010118
Submission received: 1 December 2023 / Revised: 12 January 2024 / Accepted: 13 January 2024 / Published: 16 January 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Properties and Tribological Behavior of Alloy/Coatings)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Try to arrange better the figures in the sheets of the paper.

Although improving the glass-forming ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance are important elements to test the relevance B and C has in these glassy alloys you describe, give (and measure) 3 material physical magnitudes more that improve with their presence in the alloy.

How do you test the tribological effect of the compounds?

Author Response

Try to arrange better the figures in the sheets of the paper.

        

Thank you very much for the advice. We have arranged the figures and text in the revision.

 

Although improving the glass-forming ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance are important elements to test the relevance B and C has in these glassy alloys you describe, give (and measure) 3 material physical magnitudes more that improve with their presence in the alloy.

 

Thank you very much for the advice. We measured the influence of adding B and C elements on crystallization behavior, hardness, strength and corrosion resistance and discussed the reason and the potential applications of the present HE alloys. In the following studies, we may conduct the relevant research that the reviewer mentioned.

 

How do you test the tribological effect of the compounds?

 

This work only discussed some preliminary work on high-entropy alloys for coating materials, and we didn’t test the tribological effect of the compounds. We have published several previous papers on the coating of FeCrMoBC glassy alloys exhibiting good corrosion resistance, good wear resistance, high heat resistance strength and high oxidation resistance. Based on these previous data, the HE-type glassy alloy coating is expected to exhibit much better properties by the significant reduction of element mobility, improvement of corrosion resistance and higher hardness, etc. In the later stage, we may conduct the relevant research that the reviewer mentioned.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper, titled "The influence of boron and carbon addition on the glass formation and mechanical properties of high entropy (Fe,Co,Ni,Cr,Mo)-(B,C) glassy alloys," investigates the impact of boron and carbon elements on the microstructure, yield strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance of high entropy glassy alloys. Authored by A. Inoue, F. Wang, and C.T. Chang, the study explores the crystallization behavior, glass-forming ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance influenced by the simultaneous addition of boron and carbon. The researchers found that the content of boron and carbon significantly affects the properties of the alloys, leading to improvements in glass-forming ability, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. The paper also delves into potential mechanisms behind these effects and proposes guidelines for designing high-performance multicomponent glassy alloys with applications in coatings.

While the study makes significant contributions to the field, it is advisable to address and carefully consider several general aspects before the manuscript's submission and publication:

  1. The abstract is concise and could benefit from improvement by addressing the following points:

a.       Provide a brief description of the methodology for boron and carbon addition in coatings, elucidate the primary objective of product development, and conclude by discussing both positive and negative implications.

b.       Attention is needed to address writing issues in line 13, and spaces should be added; for instance, (Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mo) (B, C) glassy alloys.

c.       Emphasize quantitative results to offer more precise and concrete evidence that supports the conclusions.

d.       Ensure that the keywords align with the Coatings guidelines.

2.       Introduction:

a.       The authors should discuss existing limitations in literature and highlight the novelty of their work in addressing these limitations.

b.       Additionally, the authors should emphasize the potential applications of the prepared coated materials with both boron and carbon. They should highlight the main advantages of this coating process.

3.       Experimental

a.       Section 2. Materials and Methods lacks credibility and should be appropriately referenced to confirm its reliability.

b.       The characterization techniques should address the methodology of preparing samples for measurements and describe the equipment used in the study.

c.       There is no clear methodology for the coating process, and the title does not align with the methodology description. This section could benefit from further subsections to make it clearer. For example, 2.1 Materials, 2.2 Methodology, 2.3 Characterization Techniques.

4.       Results.

a.       In the XRD pattern, authors should deconvolute the spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks. Additionally, the figure should be placed near the first context where it has been mentioned.

b.       Please double-check for typographical and grammatical issues, including superscripts, subscripts, etc.

c.       The authors should consider using the same font and color for all figures to homogenize and facilitate comparison.  

d.       The authors have mentioned crystallization multiple times, but no degree has been provided. What about the crystallinity degree of these composites?

e.       The manuscript heavily relies on self-citation, constituting approximately more than 40% of the citations. Authors are recommended to reduce this percentage to enhance the breadth and credibility of the references.

5.       Conclusion

a.       The conclusion effectively summarizes the study's findings. However, it could be enhanced by incorporating a discussion of the study's limitations and outlining future perspectives. Additionally, attention should be paid to grammar issues, and the entire manuscript should be thoroughly proofread for consistency.

 

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

A double-check for typographical and grammatical issues, including superscripts, subscripts, etc.

Author Response

The paper, titled "The influence of boron and carbon addition on the glass formation and mechanical properties of high entropy (Fe,Co,Ni,Cr,Mo)-(B,C) glassy alloys," investigates the impact of boron and carbon elements on the microstructure, yield strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance of high entropy glassy alloys. Authored by A. Inoue, F. Wang, and C.T. Chang, the study explores the crystallization behavior, glass-forming ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance influenced by the simultaneous addition of boron and carbon. The researchers found that the content of boron and carbon significantly affects the properties of the alloys, leading to improvements in glass-forming ability, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. The paper also delves into potential mechanisms behind these effects and proposes guidelines for designing high-performance multicomponent glassy alloys with applications in coatings.

While the study makes significant contributions to the field, it is advisable to address and carefully consider several general aspects before the manuscript's submission and publication:

  1. The abstract is concise and could benefit from improvement by addressing the following points:
  1. Provide a brief description of the methodology for boron and carbon addition in coatings, elucidate the primary objective of product development, and conclude by discussing both positive and negative implications.

The boron, Fe3C alloy and other high-purity metals were used to make the alloy ingots. The alloys in ribbon and rod forms are prepared using a single roller melt spinning method and copper mold casting in an argon atmosphere.

  1. Attention is needed to address writing issues in line 13, and spaces should be added; for instance, (Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mo) (B, C) glassy alloys.

We have added the spaces after the comma in the revision.

  1. Emphasize quantitative results to offer more precise and concrete evidence that supports the conclusions.

Thank you very much for the advice. We have modified the manuscript according to the suggestion.

  1. Ensure that the keywords align with the Coatings guidelines.

We have confirmed that the keywords align with the Coatings guidelines.

  1. Introduction:
  2. The authors should discuss existing limitations in literature and highlight the novelty of their work in addressing these limitations.

We have added the discussion in the revision.

  1. Additionally, the authors should emphasize the potential applications of the prepared coated materials with both boron and carbon. They should highlight the main advantages of this coating process.

We have studied several coatings of FeCrMoBC glassy alloys exhibiting good corrosion resistance, good wear resistance, high heat resistance strength and high oxidation resistance. Based on these previous data, the HE-type glassy alloy coating is expected to exhibit much better properties by the significant reduction of element mobility, improvement of corrosion resistance and higher hardness, etc.

  1. Experimental
  2. Section 2. Materials and Methods lacks credibility and should be appropriately referenced to confirm its reliability.

We have referenced in the Materials and Methods.

  1. The characterization techniques should address the methodology of preparing samples for measurements and describe the equipment used in the study.

The preparation method and manufacturers and models of the equipment are added in the revision.

  1. There is no clear methodology for the coating process, and the title does not align with the methodology description. This section could benefit from further subsections to make it clearer. For example, 2.1 Materials, 2.2 Methodology, 2.3 Characterization Techniques.

We have added the preparation method of the alloys, although there is no experiment of applying the alloys as coatings.

  1. Results.
  2. In the XRD pattern, authors should deconvolute the spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks. Additionally, the figure should be placed near the first context where it has been mentioned.

The XRD patterns without sharp peaks are amorphous phase and the sharp peaks can be seen clearly if the crystalline phase appears. We have arranged the figures and text in the revision, and the figures are placed near the context.

  1. Please double-check for typographical and grammatical issues, including superscripts, subscripts, etc.

We have checked and modified the typographical and grammatical issues.

  1. The authors should consider using the same font and color for all figures to homogenize and facilitate comparison.  

We have changed the font and color to keep the consistency of the figures.

  1. The authors have mentioned crystallization multiple times, but no degree has been provided. What about the crystallinity degree of these composites?

According to the SEM results, the crystallinity degree of the rod sample with a diameter of 2 mm is about 70%.

  1. The manuscript heavily relies on self-citation, constituting approximately more than 40% of the citations. Authors are recommended to reduce this percentage to enhance the breadth and credibility of the references.

We have changed three references in the revision, and it is below 30% now. Some of the self-citation references are pioneering works in the field and some references are the preliminary work of this study, and we believe that the references are suitable.

  1. Conclusion
  2. The conclusion effectively summarizes the study's findings. However, it could be enhanced by incorporating a discussion of the study's limitations and outlining future perspectives. Additionally, attention should be paid to grammar issues, and the entire manuscript should be thoroughly proofread for consistency.

We have added the study's limitations and outlined future perspectives in the Conclusion part. We have proofread the manuscript to reduce the typographical and grammatical issues.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article " The influence of boron and carbon addition on the glass formation and mechanical properties of high entropy (Fe,Co,Ni,Cr,Mo)-(B,C) glassy alloys " is a well-reported study that presents significant findings in the manufacturing and characterization of high entropy glassy alloys. This paper highlights the influence of boron and carbon content on the crystallization behavior, improvement of the glass-forming ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. With the suggested improvements, this study could provide a solid foundation for further research and development in the field of high entropy glassy alloys.

 

1.         Could you please provide specific details about the equipment used for the experiment and characterization, including the manufacturer and model, as well as the details of the arc-melting process?

2.         A question has been raised regarding the determination of the ratio between B and C (B0.7 : C0.3). It has been noted that a coatings with a higher carbon content are more significant than carbon-free coatings with boron from an engineering standpoint. In this case, would it be feasible and sensible to consider increasing the C content, for example, to a ratio of B0.5 : C0.5?

3.         It is known that the EDX analysis of light elements such as boron is not straightforward and may present challenges. Were there any special procedures implemented to ensure the accuracy of the EDX results? Additionally, it has been noted that two digits were provided after the decimal point in the EDX data. I am curious to know how such a high level of precision in the analysis was achieved, especially for light elements like boron.

4.         I have a concern regarding the explanation for the corrosion resistance. It was stated that "B and C elements can form protective oxide layers on the surface of glassy alloys, which can act as barriers against corrosion." However, carbon oxides cannot form protective oxide layers as long as they exist as a gaseous substance. In the cited article [29] "Influence of Alloying on the Corrosion Resistance of Bulk Amorphous Alloys Based on Iron," the authors discussed the formation of metal oxides as protective spices, but not carbon oxides. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to explain how the increase in B and C content contributes to the corrosion resistance in a different manner.

5.         I would like to suggest that the content from lines 248-281 be considered for inclusion in the introduction section, as it provides information based on previous research but does not discuss the results of this paper. This adjustment would help to streamline and improve the flow of the manuscript.

Author Response

The article " The influence of boron and carbon addition on the glass formation and mechanical properties of high entropy (Fe,Co,Ni,Cr,Mo)-(B,C) glassy alloys " is a well-reported study that presents significant findings in the manufacturing and characterization of high entropy glassy alloys. This paper highlights the influence of boron and carbon content on the crystallization behavior, improvement of the glass-forming ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. With the suggested improvements, this study could provide a solid foundation for further research and development in the field of high entropy glassy alloys.

 

  1. Could you please provide specific details about the equipment used for the experiment and characterization, including the manufacturer and model, as well as the details of the arc-melting process?

The manufacturers and models of XRD, DSC, Vickers hardness indenter, and SEM have been added in the revision. The arc melting process has also been added.

  1. A question has been raised regarding the determination of the ratio between B and C (B0.7 : C0.3). It has been noted that a coatings with a higher carbon content are more significant than carbon-free coatings with boron from an engineering standpoint. In this case, would it be feasible and sensible to consider increasing the C content, for example, to a ratio of B0.5 : C0.5?

As is reported, the B0.7:C0.3 alloy has higher glass forming ability than the B0.5:C0.5 or B0.3C0.7, for example: SATAKE, Maki, and Teruo BITOH. "Synthesis of Fe-Co-Ni-(B, Si, C) ferromagnetic high entropy amorphous alloys and their thermal and magnetic properties." Journal of the Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy 65.7 (2018): 401-406. We may conduct research with the other ratio that the reviewer mentioned in the following study.

  1. It is known that the EDX analysis of light elements such as boron is not straightforward and may present challenges. Were there any special procedures implemented to ensure the accuracy of the EDX results? Additionally, it has been noted that two digits were provided after the decimal point in the EDX data. I am curious to know how such a high level of precision in the analysis was achieved, especially for light elements like boron.

Thank you very much for the comments. That is the current situation. Analyzing light elements like boron with EDX can indeed pose challenges. We used the SEM with EDX detector with high energy resolution and low noise from JEOL, Japan. Even so, there may be some errors in the content of B and C elements. However, to ensure that the sum of the components is 100%, we retained the measured values to two digits.

  1. I have a concern regarding the explanation for the corrosion resistance. It was stated that "B and C elements can form protective oxide layers on the surface of glassy alloys, which can act as barriers against corrosion." However, carbon oxides cannot form protective oxide layers as long as they exist as a gaseous substance. In the cited article [29] "Influence of Alloying on the Corrosion Resistance of Bulk Amorphous Alloys Based on Iron," the authors discussed the formation of metal oxides as protective spices, but not carbon oxides. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to explain how the increase in B and C content contributes to the corrosion resistance in a different manner.

Thank you very much for the comments. We have modified it to “B and C elements can form stable carbide and boride compounds, which are more chemically inert, acting as a barrier against corrosive agents.”

  1. I would like to suggest that the content from lines 248-281 be considered for inclusion in the introduction section, as it provides information based on previous research but does not discuss the results of this paper. This adjustment would help to streamline and improve the flow of the manuscript.

We appreciate the suggestion. We have added some discussion on the results of the present work. We hope the reviewers will agree with the keeping of the two paragraphs in the discussion part.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Although authors have nor carried out any experiment related to tribology, they have asserted they will do it very soon. We expect this in future, as authors say.

Author Response

We thank the reviewer for their positive comments.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

While the authors are greatly appreciated for their efforts to enhance the manuscript, it is noted that the following concerns have not been addressed. The authors are kindly requested to double-check these issues, and when highlighting the revisions, consider using a color function for clarity:

  1. The abstract is concise and could benefit from improvement by addressing the following points:

a.       Provide a brief description of the methodology for boron and carbon addition in coatings, elucidate the primary objective of product development, and conclude by discussing both positive and negative implications.

b.       Emphasize quantitative results to offer more precise and concrete evidence that supports the conclusions.

c.       Ensure that the keywords align with the Coatings guidelines (lowercase).

2.       Introduction:

a.       The authors should discuss existing limitations in literature and highlight the novelty of their work in addressing these limitations.

b.       Additionally, the authors should emphasize the potential applications of the prepared coated materials with both boron and carbon. They should highlight the main advantages of this coating process.

3.       Experimental

a.       Section 2. Materials and Methods lacks credibility and should be appropriately referenced to confirm its reliability.

b.       The characterization techniques should elaborate on the methodology employed for preparing samples for measurements and provide a description of the equipment used in the study. It is crucial to detail how the samples were prepared for each characterization technique while addressing the limitations associated with each method.

c.       There is no clear methodology for the coating process, and the title does not align with the methodology description. This section could benefit from further subsections to make it clearer. For example, 2.1 Materials, 2.2 Methodology, 2.3 Characterization Techniques.

4.       Results.

a.       In the XRD pattern and DSC curves, authors should deconvolute the spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks. Additionally, Y-axis values should be marked to facilitate comparison between the different patterns.

b.       Please double-check for typographical and grammatical issues, including superscripts, subscripts, etc.

c.       The authors have consistently mentioned crystallization, but there is no information provided regarding the degree of crystallinity in these composites. It is crucial to address the crystallinity degree of the materials. I am particularly interested in understanding how crystallinity was determined through the SEM technique, and I request more detailed information about the calculation method used in this study. Principally, utilizing XRD for crystallinity determination is a well-established approach, with numerous studies in the literature reporting on this method. I recommend referencing these studies and incorporating relevant details into the manuscript. Furthermore, in the authors' response, they claimed a 70% crystallinity degree, which contradicts the amorphous nature of the material. Typically, amorphous materials fall within the range of 20-40% crystallinity. Please correct this inconsistency.

d.       The manuscript heavily relies on self-citation, constituting approximately more than 40% of the citations. Authors are recommended to reduce this percentage to enhance the breadth and credibility of the references.

The authors responded that they have reduced the self-citation to less than 30%, which still exceeds the maximum recommended by Coatings, set at less than 15%.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor revision is needed

Author Response

While the authors are greatly appreciated for their efforts to enhance the manuscript, it is noted that the following concerns have not been addressed. The authors are kindly requested to double-check these issues, and when highlighting the revisions, consider using a color function for clarity:

  1. The abstract is concise and could benefit from improvement by addressing the following points:
  1. Provide a brief description of the methodology for boron and carbon addition in coatings, elucidate the primary objective of product development, and conclude by discussing both positive and negative implications.
    The crystal boron and Fe3C alloy with purities above 99.8 wt.% were added to the mixed raw materials, then arc melting was used to melt the mixture (B and Fe3C together with the other alloys) to form a homogeneous alloy. The primary objective has been added in the modified abstract.
  2. Emphasize quantitative results to offer more precise and concrete evidence that supports the conclusions.
    We have added the quantitative results in the modified abstract.
  3. Ensure that the keywords align with the Coatings guidelines (lowercase).
    We have modified to lowercase for all the keywords.
  1. Introduction:
  1. The authors should discuss existing limitations in literature and highlight the novelty of their work in addressing these limitations.
    The discussion of limitations in literature and the novelty of this work has been added in the modified Introduction.
  2. Additionally, the authors should emphasize the potential applications of the prepared coated materials with both boron and carbon. They should highlight the main advantages of this coating process.
    This study intends to examine fundamental properties (mechanical properties and corrosion resistance) of HE (Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mo)-(B, C) glassy alloys which can be regarded as a further multiplication of the previous Fe-based glassy coating material. The coating process has not been studied yet.
  1. Experimental
  1. Section 2. Materials and Methods lacks credibility and should be appropriately referenced to confirm its reliability.
    Two references using the similar process were added in the “Materials and Methods” part.
  2. The characterization techniques should elaborate on the methodology employed for preparing samples for measurements and provide a description of the equipment used in the study. It is crucial to detail how the samples were prepared for each characterization technique while addressing the limitations associated with each method.
    All the methods have been provided to ensure that researchers in the same research field can repeat the experiments.
  3. There is no clear methodology for the coating process, and the title does not align with the methodology description. This section could benefit from further subsections to make it clearer. For example, 2.1 Materials, 2.2 Methodology, 2.3 Characterization Techniques.
    Although there is no clear methodology for the coating process, there are methodologies for preparing alloy ingots, ribbons and rod samples. The authors think that the title “Materials and Methods” is suitable.
  1. Results.
  1. In the XRD pattern and DSC curves, authors should deconvolute the spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks. Additionally, Y-axis values should be marked to facilitate comparison between the different patterns.
    The XRD patterns without sharp peaks are amorphous phase and the sharp peaks can be seen clearly if the crystalline phase appears. The DSC curves are used to show the characteristic temperatures. In order to compare multiple XRD spectra on the same graph, there cannot be specific intensity values.
  2. Please double-check for typographical and grammatical issues, including superscripts, subscripts, etc.
    We have modified some typographical and grammatical issues in the manuscript and reference lists. Some of the errors were made by the submission system after submission.
  3. The authors have consistently mentioned crystallization, but there is no information provided regarding the degree of crystallinity in these composites. It is crucial to address the crystallinity degree of the materials. I am particularly interested in understanding how crystallinity was determined through the SEM technique, and I request more detailed information about the calculation method used in this study. Principally, utilizing XRD for crystallinity determination is a well-established approach, with numerous studies in the literature reporting on this method. I recommend referencing these studies and incorporating relevant details into the manuscript. Furthermore, in the authors' response, they claimed a 70% crystallinity degree, which contradicts the amorphous nature of the material. Typically, amorphous materials fall within the range of 20-40% crystallinity. Please correct this inconsistency.
    There are two types of forms for the samples: ribbons and rods, and the crystallinity is different. We can see calculate the degree of crystallinity by fitting the area of the peak of XRD patterns or DSC peaks. However, in this study, we study the effect of the addition of B and C on the glass forming ability, that is, the quantitative conclusion of whether amorphous can be formed. It was not intended to study the impact of specific values of crystallinity. The value of crystallinity has no impact on our conclusions.
  4. The manuscript heavily relies on self-citation, constituting approximately more than 40% of the citations. Authors are recommended to reduce this percentage to enhance the breadth and credibility of the references.

    The authors responded that they have reduced the self-citation to less
    than 30%, which still exceeds the maximum recommended by Coatings, set at less than 15%.
    We have further reduced the self-citation in the revision. It is 5/34 = 14.7%, which is less than 15% now.

Round 3

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Regrettably, the authors have not addressed most of the comments I raised, and their responses lack consistency, making it challenging to determine if the article has been appropriately revised. The manuscript may be considered for further review only if the following concerns are earnestly addressed. Authors are encouraged to respond consistently by incorporating the suggested changes directly into the manuscript. Mere statements about modifications and revisions, without corresponding alterations in the manuscript, are neither valid nor logical.

1.       Provide a brief description of the methodology for boron and carbon addition in coatings, elucidate the primary objective of product development, and conclude by discussing both positive and negative implications.

2.       The authors should comprehensively discuss the prevailing limitations documented in the existing literature and underscore the novelty of their work in overcoming these limitations. The statement by the authors, claiming a lack of data concerning the characteristic improvement of High-Entropy Bulk Metallic Glasses (HE-BMGs) for coating, warrants closer scrutiny. This assertion contradicts previously conducted studies and reports, exemplified by A. Inoue (2011). A more thorough examination of the relevant literature is essential to provide a context for their research and acknowledge the contributions of previous works in the field.

3.       It is crucial to detail how the samples were prepared for each characterization technique while addressing the limitations associated with each method.

4.       In the XRD pattern and DSC curves, authors should deconvolute the spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks. Additionally, Y-axis values should be marked to facilitate comparison between the different patterns.

5.       If the authors find it challenging to discuss the results based on the long order or degree of structural order and arrangement in their samples, it is crucial to provide quantitative calculations for the degree of amorphousness. This will help demonstrate the varying effects among all the prepared samples.

6.       The varied responses provided during the revisions, particularly regarding this question, raise doubts and require clarification.

 

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required

Author Response

We appreciate the reviewer for the insightful feedback on our manuscript. We appreciate the time and effort the reviewer invested in providing valuable comments.

In response to the suggestions, we would like to address the following points:

  1. The B and C were added to the materials by arc-melting method: the boron, Fe3C alloy and other high-purity metals were mixed and remelted by arc-melting method to ensure the compositional homogeneity of the alloy ingots. The arc-melting is a common method of melting metal materials. The alloys in ribbon and rod forms are prepared using a single roller melt spinning method and copper mold casting, respectively, in an argon atmosphere, which are also commonly used methods.
  2. The reviewer commented, "In the XRD pattern and DSC curves, authors should deconvolute the spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks." From 2019, we have published more than 20 peer-reviewed papers. There is no request from any reviewer on the deconvoluting spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks in the XRD pattern and DSC curves. In addition, we read many papers and there is no deconvoluting spectrum using any function to confirm the absence of sharp peaks in the XRD pattern and DSC curves. For example, the following are two of our published papers.

[1]   Wang, F.; Inoue, A.; Kong, F.L.; Zhu, S.; Xie, C.; Zhao, C.; Botta, W.J.; Chang, C. Formation and ultrahigh mechanical strength of multicomponent Co-based bulk glassy alloys. Journal of Materials Research and Technology 2023, 26, 1050-1061, doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.07.255.

[2]   Liu, C.; Inoue, A.; Kong, F.L.; Zhu, S.L.; Shalaan, E.; Al-Ghmadi, A.; Greer, A.L. Plastic Zr-Al-Ni-Cu-Ag bulk glassy alloys containing quasicrystalline or β-Zr plus ω-Zr phases. Acta Materialia, 2022, 229, 117812, doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2022.117812.

So we don’t think it will improve the manuscript or provide more information for the readers by deconvoluting the spectrum using functions.

  1. All the sample preparation methods have been provided.

Thank the reviewer once again for the valuable suggestions.

Back to TopTop