Microstructure Evolution Behavior of Spray-Deposited 7055 Aluminum Alloy during Hot Deformation
, Rui Xu 1, Jichen Li 1, Wenjie Huang 1, Jingtao Wang 2, Ying Liu 2,*, Linxiang Zhao 3, Chengbo Li 4 and Hao Zhang 5Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Figure 2 needs to be looked into. Author has missed detail of Figure 2(f) in the subscript of figure. Moreover, Figure 2(b, d, f) are not much clear as compared to other figure which need to be replaced.
Author Response
Dear Professor and Editor:
We would like to submit the enclosed manuscript entitled “Microstructure Evolution Behavior of Spray-deposited 7055 Aluminum Alloy during Hot Deformation”, which we wish to be considered for publication in “Metals”. No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript that is enclosed.
The current submission focused on the microstructure evolution process from deposited state to hot compressed state. We investigated the DRX and DRV behaviors systematically. And analyzed the relationship between microstructure and deformation conditions in details. The results are of great significance for the understanding of the thermal deformation behavior and the hot working process optimization of other spray-deposited aluminum alloys.
Based on the comments suggested by professors, authors revised the details of the manuscript. The replies are as follows:
Reviewer 1
Figure 2 needs to be looked into. Author has missed detail of Figure 2(f) in the subscript of figure. Moreover, Figure 2(b, d, f) are not much clear as compared to other figure which need to be replaced.
Reply：Figure 2(f) is the image of 450 ℃/0.001 s-1 . The Figure 2(a, b, d) has been replaced. Sharpening treatment was applied to Figure 2(f).
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
This manuscript is devoted to the evolution of phases, substructure and grain of spray-deposited 7055 aluminum alloy during hot compression at the temperatures of 300–470°C.
The manuscript contains a number of new interesting data and can be recommended for publication after making a number of corrections in accordance with the comments and suggestions below.
1. Conclusions about phase transformations are made solely on the basis of observations of SEM images. How convincing is it? It would be reasonable to use XRD analysis to confirm the existence/evolution of certain phases.
2. The dimension of the stacking fault energy (SFE) is mJ m–2, not mJ/m–2. Please correct.
3. The article contains a large number of abbreviations that make it difficult to perceive the results and their discussion. Is it possible to reduce the number of abbreviations used?
4. Specify the possible practical application of the results.
5. The use of quotations in the abstract is atypical and unusual for scientific publications in this scientific direction.
6. In the list of references, the excessive citation of the works of Chinese authors (overwhelming majority) is striking. On the one hand, it is incorrect and somewhat unethical. On the other hand, doubts creep in as to how exhaustively the authors have studied and cited the main publications of international researchers on the subject of the work.
7. The references list should be arranged in accordance with the rules of this Journal. You must also specify the doi of the articles.
Author Response
Dear Professors and Editors:
We would like to submit the enclosed manuscript entitled “Microstructure Evolution Behavior of Spray-deposited 7055 Aluminum Alloy during Hot Deformation”, which we wish to be considered for publication in “Metals”. No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript that is enclosed.
The current submission focused on the microstructure evolution process from deposited state to hot compressed state. We investigated the DRX and DRV behaviors systematically. And analyzed the relationship between microstructure and deformation conditions in details. The results are of great significance for the understanding of the thermal deformation behavior and the hot working process optimization of other spray-deposited aluminum alloys.
Based on the comments suggested by professors, authors revised the details of the manuscript. The replies are in the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The dynamic softening mechanism of spray-deposited Al 7055 alloys has been widely studied. For example, in Met. Mater. Int., Vol. 24, No. 1 (2018), pp. 195~204 by the same corresponding author, and Materials Characterization 178 (2021) 111203 by a group of researchers from the same institute. The same authors have already investigated the hot deformation behavior in as-deposited Al 7055 alloy. In the papers mentioned, the hot deformation behavior was carried out over the same deformation conditions, and SEM/EBSD and TEM identified the underlying softening mechanisms. Therefore, I do not believe that the results of the present study may add any findings and novelty to the pre-existing literature results. I recommend rejecting the paper in the present form to avoid the republication of already-known results.
However, I have a few comments for the authors:
1- In Fig.1, all the flow curves, except for (e), do not exhibit characteristic shapes for the conditions where DRV or DRX refine the microstructure. The curves reveal continuous work hardening with strain with no indication of flow softening. Based solely on the shape of these curves, no DRV or DRX is expected to occur in the material during hot deformation since the flow curve neither shows a single maximum nor a steady state. Please recheck the data, and repeat the tests if necessary. This shape of flow curves has not been reported before for this material (check above mentioned articles).
2- What do you mean by the directivity of the second phase?
3- The second phase particles were claimed to be AlZnMgCu, which is false. The second phase may contain Al, Zn, Mg, and Cu, but EDS can not identify the phase composition. The authors may use XRD for phase identification. See, Journal of Alloys and Compounds 578 (2013) 208–214 for phase identification in as-deposited Al 7055.
4- Whether homogenization and extrusion were conducted after spraying?
5- There are misusing of a few words that are not common in the metallurgy terminology, e.g., the directivity of the second phase, trigeminal grain boundaries (maybe you mean GB triple junctions?). The authors should use more common words.
6- Zener-Hollomon is not a symbol but a parameter.
7- The TEM investigation is fascinating, but again it points to the findings already known from the literature.
Author Response
Dear Professor and Editor:
We would like to submit the enclosed manuscript entitled “Microstructure Evolution Behavior of Spray-deposited 7055 Aluminum Alloy during Hot Deformation”, which we wish to be considered for publication in “Metals”. No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript that is enclosed.
The current submission focused on the microstructure evolution process from deposited state to hot compressed state. We investigated the DRX and DRV behaviors systematically. And analyzed the relationship between microstructure and deformation conditions in details. The results are of great significance for the understanding of the thermal deformation behavior and the hot working process optimization of other spray-deposited aluminum alloys.
Based on the comments suggested by professors, authors revised the details of the manuscript. The replies are in the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
The authors sufficiently addressed the issues raised by the reviewer. However, the results of the mentioned publications in comment No. 1 should be briefly explained in the introduction. Besides, the novelty of the present work should be highlighted clearly to avoid similarities among the already-published results.
The authors should compare their findings with the literature mentioned by the reviewer in comment 1 and discuss the potential effect of initial grain size and homogenization on the deformation behavior. The authors should also explain whether spray-deposited samples reveal a better/worse degree of deformability/workability than the as-cast sample (see Met. Mater. Int., Vol. 24, No. 1 (2018), pp. 195~204).
Author Response
Dear professor, thanks for your comments and the approval of our revised submission. Respect your suggestions in round 2, we briefly describe the similar researches in the introduce. After depicted the DRX mechanisms of spray-deposited 7055Al, the better workability were confirmed due to the high degree of dynamic softening behavior when compared with the as-cast 7055Al.
