The Effect of Heat Treating and Deformation by Rolling and Forging on the Mechanical Properties of the 4032-Type Alloy Prepared from Recycled Materials
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This manuscript studies the relationship between deformation, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the Sr-modified 4032-type eutectic aluminum alloy. The paper is well-organized, and the title is practical and attractive. In addition, the following should also be considered before publishing.
Innovation, the purpose of the research, the tests performed, and the results and achievements should be included in the abstract quantitatively and qualitatively. So, the abstract should be written better and needs revisions. The article needs general writing and grammar editing.
The introduction is brief, superficial, and incomplete. The number of used and reviewed references is very small. Also, the paragraphs presented are primarily general and general information. At the end of the introduction, a suitable summary of the importance of the present issue should be provided.
Use the following resources to deepen the introduction. Investigation of annealing treatment on the interfacial and mechanical properties of Al5052/Cu multilayered composites subjected to ARB process. A comprehensive study on the effect of heat treatment on the fracture behaviors and structural properties of Mg-Li alloys using RSM. Effects of strain accumulation and annealing on interfacial microstructure and grain structure (Mg and Al3Mg2 layers) of Al/Cu/Mg multilayered composite fabricated by ARB process.
It is suggested that the labels of the SEM images be written in color other than red. The scale bar in Figures 2 and 5 is illegible. Add an error bar to the mechanical results (Table 3). The diagram in Figure 3 should be modified. The title of the vertical and horizontal axes is wrong.
Why is the slope of the elastic region different in Figure 3? If the elastic property is one of the material's inherent properties and should not be changed by thermal and mechanical treatment. The quality of images 3 and 4 is inappropriate and should be improved.
The results section is well organized and categorized. But some parts report the results, which require corrections and deepening the analysis and discussion. In the conclusion section, a summary of the purpose of the research, innovation, and research method should be presented before presenting the highlights.
No comment.
Author Response
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Reviewer 2 Report
Dear Authors,
please find some suggestions:
Line 28: Please modify, because Al-alloys are affected heavily from environment corrosion especially pitting and grain-boundary. In fact, complex electro-passivation processes are introduced in order to prevent environment corrosion. On the other hand pure Al retains good corrosion resistance.
Line 89 e following: please add a scheme with the description of the specimens’ manufacturing process.
These steps must be covered in the scheme:
- 1) Scraps + pure metals additions.
- 2) Casting phase
- 3) Rolling phase
- 4) Forging phase
Moreover, please add in the text for each step the geometric dimension of the poured samples and the rolled samples, forged samples etc at the end of the process.
Line 119: please specify the tensile tests specimens and how many specimens have been manufactured and adopted for ASTM E8.
Line 146: Do you mean heating up the samples for the rolling phase? The specimens after the rolling phase have been annealed? Aged? Recovered? What kind of heat treatment are you addressing?
Line 212: how many specimens per condition do you have tested? Please add a table with all the tensile results and mean values.
Line 308-310: you have introduced now the concept of “solubilisation treatment”, please introduce this concept when and where it is suited
Author Response
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Reviewer 3 Report
The paper presents the results of research on the influence of heat treatment and metal forming proces on the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys. The research was carried out on aluminum alloy derived from automotive and marine scrap recycling. The work was written in an understandable way. The presented results are interesting, but some of the issues raised are debatable.
1. Some of the presented results seem obvious (increase in mechanical properties as a result of plastic working).
2. 2. What alloy deformation scheme was used? The indication that the alloy was rolled and forged is very general. It would be good to present diagrams of both processes here with the basic parameters of matel forming marked. Was the deformation done in one pass or in several passes? Was the material rotated during plastic forming? Why was this method of plastic processing chosen?
3. The presentation of the purpose of the conducted research, which is a summary of the introduction in the article, requires extension.
4. Currently, aluminum alloys made from scrap are increasingly used. How does the presented method differ from commonly used technologies?
Author Response
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Reviewer 4 Report
The authors studied the possibility of obtaining an Al-Si alloy from recycled materials followed by thermal and deformation-thermal treatments to improve its structure and properties. Overall, the manuscript is like an experimental report. The analysis is low level and many simple errors could be found.
1. Why do the authors use such expensive strontium for modification?
2. Line 21-22. The mention of the software package is not necessary here.
3. Line 58. ‘strain rates below 50%’. What does it mean ? Typically, the strain rate is indicated in s-1.
4. Lines 59-64. It shouldn't be here, it's part of the methodology.
5. Red text on Figs. 1, 2 and 5 is hard to read.
6. It is desirable that the structures in Figure 1 be obtained at the same magnification
7. Where are the Mg2Si particles on Fig. 1(b)?
8. Sometimes there are no links in the text, for example Line 150.
9. Discussion of the change in phase composition of the alloy under different treatments is very weak. Different phases - is it a consequence of temperature or deformation?
10. In Figure 3, the axes are reversed.
11. The Figure 3 has no parts. Therefore, the designations a, b, c are not needed. The same for Figure 4.
12. The authors write about strength, but do not mention ductility (relative elongation) at all.
13. The X-axis in Figure 3 is limited to about 0.8. And in the text, the authors write ‘some particles reached 0.89 of maximum circularity’ (Lines 241-242).
14. How was the number of columns (10 pcs) on the histogram in Figure 4 chosen? This should be the cube root of the number of measurements. Judging by Table 4, there were from 245 to 719 measurements. Now this does not match the number of columns.
15. The Conclusions do not mention the studied alloys, as well as commercial alloys with which the results are compared. In addition, the expressions ‘than expected’ or ‘as expected’ are undesirable.
These are very low level mistakes and it is so carelessness. The authors should be careful for scientific research.
Moderate editing of English language required.
Author Response
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Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear Authors,
the paper now is more clear and can be recommended for publication. Even if I would like to suggest you avoiding for the future to present poor statistical significance tensile test results. In any case the main core of your paper was the good homogeneity and microstructural significance of the "recycled" alloy and this is the real main interesting point: weel done!
Author Response
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Reviewer 4 Report
The authors have revised the manuscript, but some improvements are still required. Beyond this, not all of the reviewer's questions were answered.
- now the phrase ‘Additionally, open access software was used for measuring the roundness of the eutectic silicon particles, which achieved roundness close to 90%’ (lines 21-23) should be deleted, since the new phrase ‘It was shown that the combination of deformation and the addition of strontium led to improved globulization of the eutectic silicon’ actually repeats it (lines 25-26).
- ‘elastic limit’ should be replaced with ‘yield strength’ or ‘yield stress’ or ‘yield stress’ (see lines 20-21 and lines 242-243).
- Conclusions still do not include the composition of the studied alloys as well as the commercial alloys.
English seems ok but it's always better to double check
Author Response
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