Study of Ceramic Hollow Buoyant Balls Prepared Based on Slip Mold Casting and Brazing Process
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis paper involves the process of brazing two ceramic hemispherical shells, which are generated through slurry molding, in order to create a ceramic float. The topic is interesting, but the systematic experimental method is not clear. To improve the paper's quality, some issues must be addressed.
Introduction
The review of literature that the authors have undertaken lacks originality. The rationale for the significance of the research is not explicitly stated. It is highly recommended to add a statement in which direction the research was conducted. From the first to the last paragraph in the introduction section, citations are given without providing a gap analysis
Materials and Methods
This section has some unclear issues that must be addressed, such as
- What is the primary method used for preparing buoyancy balls in deep-sea applications, and what are its limitations?
- How do the authors propose to overcome the challenges associated with the conventional ceramic molding process?
- What is the role of slip casting in the production of ceramic hollow buoyancy spheres?
- What is the significance of brazing in the process of preparing ceramic hollow floating balls?
- How do the authors ensure uniform wall thickness in the ceramic hemispherical shells?
- What is the purpose of welding a ceramic connector onto the ceramic shell, and how does it enhance the functionality of the ceramic float?
- What is the composition of the ceramic slurry used in the study, and how is it prepared?
- What is the significance of the sintering temperature in the process of preparing ceramic hollow floating balls, and how does it affect the properties of the ceramic material?
Results and Discussion
- How do the authors evaluate the pressure durability of the ceramic floats in high-pressure conditions?
2. How does the temperature during sintering affect the densification of the ceramic material and how does it influence the ceramic hemisphere shell's strength?
- How do the authors evaluate the shear strength of the soldered specimens, and what factors influence this strength?
- How do the authors ensure the reliability of the process for preparing pressure-resistant spherical shells by integrating slip casting and welding processes?
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript describes the brazing of two ceramic hemispherical shells, obtained through slurry molding, to form a ceramic float towards facilitating buoyancy provision, as well as subsequent test for deep-sea buoyancy material applications.
The topic is of practical significance, the scope is adequate and fits the special issue of “Laser-Assisted Processes and Thermal Treatments of Materials”; the methods are appropriate and comprehensive.
Scientific rigor and reproducibility must be improved, extensive editing both on the presentation and manuscript structure will also be beneficial. Details:
1. Title, it appears the processing is more than slip mold casting and brazing process, do you want to modify title to reflect all methods?
2. Introduction
The last paragraph, should introduce the objectives and hypothesis if there is one, rather than a long summary.
3. Materials and Methods
fig. 1, 2 lack detailed dimension.
There lack quantified measures, such as how much of each component was used, etc.
3.2, can you relate to the density results here?
2.6 missing operating parameters.
Some methods in Results section, such as 3.6, 3.9, shear test and XRD should be introduced here rather than in Results.
4. Results
Numerical results should be presented as mean (standard deviation). Without statistical analysis one can not say if the difference between groups, or test result vs standard value, such as mass-to-drainage ratio, is statistically significant. Please do a student's t-test, and plot results as data points and error bars, rather than simple data points. Fig. 8, 10 should also reflect the t-test results.
Suggest citing additional actual microstructure study at “The macroscopic properties of ceramics are determined by their microstructure [26, 26a].”
26a= Periodic vs.molecular cluster approaches to resolving glass structure and properties: Anorthite a case study
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsGeneral comments
The submitted manuscript is focused on the preparation and characterisation of two ceramic hemispherical shells, obtained through slurry molding, to form a ceramic float.
Major revisions have to be applied, since the collected results have been well described, but should be better discussed and compared with literature.
More details and specific remarks and suggestions are reported below point by point.
Introduction
- The Introduction section is well conceived and the aim of the submitted manuscripts has been well highlighted, but the originality with respect to the previous literature has to be evidenced.
- All the acronyms, such as XRD, have to be specified the first time they are used.
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2. Materials and Methods
2.3. Preparation of ceramic slurry
- More details, such as the purity and supplier, for all the used reagents, reactants and solvents have to be added.
2.4. Forming method of alumina ceramic floating ball
- For all the thermal treatments, please, add the heating and cooling rates.
2.6. Characterization of alumina ceramic hollow floating spheres
- How were the samples prepared for SEM observation? Please, add details.
- For all the reported equations, add proper literature references.
- For all the measurements, please, add the number of investigated samples and/or points in order to provide an average value and standard deviation.
3. Results and Discussion
As a general consideration, the Authors should more deeply discuss the acquired data, comparing them with the literature. They well and deeply described them but they completely failed in comparing them with literature.
3.8. Effect of welding temperature and brazing material composition on the welding performance of alumina ceramic floating balls
- For the XRD results, all the used JCPDS card numbers have to be specified both within the text body and the related Figure.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
The English quality is good.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe research work carried out by the authors are very appreciable. They presented and revised the manuscript according to the reviewers comments. Now it can be acceptable for publication.
Author Response
Dear reviewers ,
Thank you for offering us an opportunity to improve the quality of our submitted manuscript ( coatings-3024255 ). We appreciated very much the reviewers ' constructive and insightful comments .
Thanks very much for your kind work and consideration on publication of our paper . On behalf of my co - authors , we would like to express our great appreciation to editor and reviewers . Thank you and best regards .
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors have addressed the majority of the issues raised except for the following which affect the scientific rigor:
- results should be presented as mean (standard deviation)(Fig. 5, 6, 10, 11) to show spread.
- Without statistical analysis one can not discern if the difference between groups, or test result vs standard value, such as mass-to-drainage ratio, is statistically significant. Please do a student's t-test, Fig. 5-7, 9-11 should also reflect the t-test results.
Also, 0.467 g/cm³ in Line 367 and Table 2 does not correspond with the average (SD) tabulated in Table 1.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe revised manuscript can be accepted in the current version.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThe English is good
Author Response
Dear reviewers ,
Thank you for offering us an opportunity to improve the quality of our submitted manuscript ( coatings-3024255 ). We appreciated very much the reviewers ' constructive and insightful comments .
Thanks very much for your kind work and consideration on publication of our paper . On behalf of my co - authors , we would like to express our great appreciation to editor and reviewers . Thank you and best regards .
