The Influence of Copper Content on the Elastic Modulus and Antibacterial Properties of Ti-13Nb-13Zr-xCu Alloy
, Anqi Shi 1, Renxian Wang 2, Jingjun Nie 2, Gaowu Qin 1,3, Dafu Chen 2,* and Erlin Zhang 1,3,*
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The authors aimed to investigate in Ti-13Nb-13Zr-xCu(x= 3, 7wt.%) alloys the Cu influence, to study the phase transformation, microstructure, mechanical properties, antibacterial properties and cytotoxicity, using X-ray diffractometer, metallographic microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The experimental results have demonstrated that the antibacterial performance against S. aureus, and the elastic modulus were significantly improved but the biocorrosion resistance deteriorated with the increase of the copper content.
The study covers some issues that have been overlooked in other similar topics. The structure of the manuscript appears adequate and well divided in the sections. Moreover, the study is easy to follow, but some issues should be improved. Some of the comments that would improve the overall quality of the study are:
a. Authors must pay attention to the technical terms acronyms they used in the text.
b. English language needs to be revised.
c. Limitations of the study needs to be added.
d. Conclusion Section: This paragraph required a general revision to eliminate redundant sentences and to add some "take-home message".
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
1. The English grammar and the typo errors should be revised.
2. It is recommended to add at least 5 keywords.
3. In too many places I noticed “Error! Reference source not found”, what is this? Please revise it with proper sentence.
4. What is the reason for disappearance and reappearance of the β-phase at 38° number of times with increasing aging time?
5. It is recommended to mention the phases present in figure 3.
6. The authors should explain the novelty of the work with more details.
7. All the symbols should be defined at the first use in the text.
8. The place of procurement of chemicals must be mentioned and purity of using materials must be clear.
9. Author should re-check all the equations, terms and SI units and references in the manuscript.
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
