Comment on 'A new nanoscale metastable iron phase in carbon steels'

TL;DR

This paper critiques a recent claim of a new iron phase in steels, demonstrating that the diffraction patterns used as evidence can be explained by twin effects, not a new phase.

Contribution

It provides a critical analysis showing that previously claimed evidence for a new phase is actually due to twin effects, challenging the original interpretation.

Findings

Selected area diffraction patterns can be simulated by twin effects

The evidence does not support the existence of a new hexagonal phase

The original diffraction patterns do not prove a new phase

Abstract

We show that the selected area diffraction patterns presented in a recent paper (T. Liu et al. Sci. Rep. 2015 5, 15331) do not prove the existence of a new hexagonal phase in martensitic steels. They can be actually simulated by twin effects.