This is about a paper just published, by S. Allain, F. Lebel, I.-E. Benrabah, J. Teixeira, B. Denand, O. Naokonechna and G. Geandier, Materialia (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2026.102733
The authors offer a glimpse into bainitic transformations using high-energy X-ray diffraction. While the data and interpretations are interesting, the work fails the fundamental test of scientific reproducibility. This is because the alloy composition is not provided:
| C % | Si + Al % | Mn + Ni % | Cr + Mo % | Nb / Ti / B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.34 | 0.59 | 1.00 | 0.50 | Microalloying elements |
It becomes impossible therefore, to perform independent calculations to check such things as the driving forces or phase stability that underpin the interpretations. The renders the paper unsuitable for citation in a formal text, for example, a book that I currently am composing.
Here is another paper that fails to properly report the chemical composition of the steel studied:
- Dziuba S, Krolicka A, Smolnicki M, Lesiuk G, Rozumek D, Kuziak R. Fatigue crack growth under mixed mode I+ II loading conditions of ultra-fine bainitic steel designed for railway applications. Engineering Fracture Mechanics. 2026 Jan 4:111831.
Chemical Composition [wt.%] C Mn Cr Si Ni Mo Fe ~0.3 2.5 (Mn + Cr) Min. 0.8 low content Balance
Why do journals permit this?