Ethiopian Bamboo Fiber Aging Process and Reinforcement: Advancing Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Fiber-Epoxy Composites for Automobile Applications

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 1)

1. Line 213 : "properties of bamboo age have come in the lignifications processes being completed in one growing season, then deteriorating its properties after reaching full lignifications. PLease add reference. 

1. correct spelling of findiiings on line 32

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

            We would like to thank the reviewers for the valuable and useful comments, which have certainly helped us to enhance the quality of our article. We have revised the manuscript by addressing all of the suggestions and comments to the best of our ability. We are pleased to present our point-by-point responses to all of the comments below together with a brief description of the revisions made.

Point 1: -- Line 213 : "properties of bamboo age have come in the lignifications processes being completed in one growing season, then deteriorating its properties after reaching full lignifications. PLease add reference. 

Response 1: We sincerely appreciate the reviewer for the valuable comments, the citation of the reference is added and corrected as per your comments. We checked the whole manuscript again and again to improve the quality of the manuscript. 

Point 2: - correct spelling of findiiings on line 32

Response 2: the authors appreciate the reviewer for your valuable comments on spelling errors to improve the quality of the manuscript. we rewrite and edit the manuscript to address the problem.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report (Previous Reviewer 3)

As shown in the revised manuscript, some issues suggested by the reviewer were resolved.

The reviewer believes that the authors' findings will contribute to the advancement of materials science.

From these considerations, the reviewer recommends accepting for publication in “Journal of Composite Science,” if the following issues are resolved.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

            We would like to thank the reviewers for the valuable and useful comments, which have certainly helped us to enhance the quality of our article. We have revised the manuscript by addressing all of the suggestions and comments to the best of our ability. We are pleased to present our point-by-point responses to all of the comments below together with a brief description of the revisions made.

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

As shown in the revised manuscript, some issues suggested by the reviewer were resolved.

The reviewer believes that the authors' findings will contribute to the advancement of materials science.

From these considerations, the reviewer recommends accepting for publication in “Journal of Composite Science,” if the following issues are resolved.

Response by authors: Thank you for your satisfaction and recommending for acceptance our manuscript for publication in “Journal of Composite Science”.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 1)

Thanks for making the necessary edits. 

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

1. The use of bamboo fibers is interesting as a natural, renewable fiber as well as because it is lightweight. In the introduction, authors should mention light weight to be useful for electric vehicles as well. 

2. The authors need to run statistical analysis on all the properties such as tensile strength, flexural and others to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between the 3 fiber types, months of harvest and year of harvest. Which of the 3 fibers are better or are they all similar in properties? Should we always harvest on year 2?

3. The authors merely state the obtained data. There is no explanation provided on any of the differences observed in the properties. The authors must provide some reasoning about the properties obtained from year 1, 2 and 3. Why do they think 1 year is low compared to 2? Do properties deteriorate if harvested in year 3? why?

4. The authors should test the tensile strength and other properties of the fibers alone. This would perhaps explain some of the differences seen in the composite properties. The authors must provide a representation graphs for tensile strength for each fiber. 

5. Fiber characterization is missing. The authors must provide length, diameter and density measurements of the fibers alone. 

6. The authors should provide SEM images of the fractured surfaces of the fibers alone as well as composites. 

7. Overall, the authors only state the obtained values for mechanical properties. There is no analysis done on the data. There is no reasoning or thoughts provided on the obtained data and thus the manuscript does not have any scientific grounds to be published.

The introduction is well written. However, the results and analysis section does not contain any analysis. 

There are a few minor English corrections such as 

1. line 47, missing period after industries

2. line 63, collision instead collusion

3. line 123 missing r in research 

4. Table 2 missing R in Inji-bara BFEP, Nov

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper investigated the mechanical properties of composite material reinforced by bamboo fiber, the subject of the paper has acceptable novelty, there are some topics before I can give final decision of the paper:

1.      The abstract needs more details about the manufacturing technique and testing

2.      The word “the best” in abstract need more deep comparative study with many other materials

3.      What were the difference of the present study with other? it was recommended to add paragraph showing the paper main art and specialties over other work.

4.      The cited reference in introduction has many old ones 1985 ref. 19, and just two in 2020 and 2021, therefore, it needs to cited more recent paper in 2022 and 2023.

5.      Wrong cited reference style [21]–[23]

6.       Sub-titles were so many, please collect more similar in one subtitle

7.      More specific description needs to Technique of Sampling like drawing sample, how it was harvesting.

8.      Fig. 1 was not clear

9.      the slope of the stress-strain curve between 0.1 and 0.3% of the strain. why

10.   Fig. 2 was not clear, also fig. 2b should not appear her, replace with real image of specimens same for Fig. 3

11.   What did the need of impact test, what are applications of these material intended to face

12.   Where the stress strain curves for all tested, stress strain curve in material science was merely an indicator of load carrying capacity, but it was a characteristic property for material, the prehistory of the material behaviors just observed in this curve same for bending deflection curve

13.    What are the failure modes of all of these tests, also what about fiber debonding with resin, the SEM analysis was urgently need to complete understanding the material behaviors, selected specimen recommended

14.   Finally, a section of comparison with other woke material was need to can said the best

15.   Conclusion need to rewriting   

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors have reported the creation of new composite materials composed of Ethiopian bamboo fibres and polymer materials. These results will be helpful and informative for researchers in the field of materials science. Whereas the reviewer thinks the authors’ study in this manuscript is quite interesting, suggestive, and well-organized, some descriptions are insufficient. The authors’ manuscript is not suitable for publication in “Journal of Composite Science” in the present form.

From these considerations, the reviewer recommends accepting for publication in “Journal of Composite Science,” if the following issues are resolved.

1)      What is the scientific basis for the composites of the materials obtained?

2)      At what material scale was the material composited?

3)      Methods of preparing composites of Ethiopian bamboo fibres and polymeric materials should be described in detail.

4)      The results of the study show that Ethiopian bamboo fibres are excellent raw materials for composites, but there should be scientific considerations as to why.

5)      What makes Ethiopian bamboo fibres different from other materials? Is there anything that the authors can mention from their research results?

6)      Why did the authors choose Ethiopian “bamboo” fibres as your research subject? What are the differences from other “bamboo” fibres?

7)      What is responsible for the differences in physical properties of Ethiopian bamboo fibres depending on their origin?