Effect of resonance frequency, power input, and saturation gas type on the oxidation efficiency of an ultrasound horn

The sonochemical oxidation efficiency (¿ox) of a commercial titanium alloy ultrasound horn has been measured using potassium iodide as a dosimeter at its main resonance frequency (20 kHz) and two higher resonance frequencies (41 and 62 kHz). Narrow power and frequency ranges have been chosen to minimise secondary effects such as changing bubble stability, and time available for radical diffusion from the bubble to the liquid. The oxidation efficiency, ¿ox, is proportional to the frequency and to the power transmitted to the liquid (275 mL) in the applied power range (1–6 W) under argon. Luminol radical visualisation measurements show that the radical generation rate increases and a redistribution of radical producing zones is achieved at increasing frequency. Argon, helium, air, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide have been used as saturation gases in potassium iodide oxidation experiments. The highest ¿ox has been observed at 5 W under air at 62 kHz. The presence of carbon dioxide in air gives enhanced nucleation at 41 and 62 kHz and has a strong influence on ¿ox. This is supported by the luminol images, the measured dependence of ¿ox on input power, and bubble images recorded under carbon dioxide. The results give insight into the interplay between saturation gas and frequency, nucleation, and their effect on ¿ox

Hydrodynamic cavitation in micro channels with channel sizes of 100 and 750 micrometers

Decreasing the constriction size and residence time in hydrodynamic cavitation is predicted to give increased hot spot temperatures at bubble collapse and increased radical formation rate. Cavitation in a 100 × 100 µm2 rectangular micro channel and in a circular 750 µm diameter milli channel has been investigated with computational fluid dynamics software and with imaging and radical production experiments. No radical production has been measured in the micro channel. This is probably because there is no spherically symmetrical collapse of the gas pockets in the channel which yield high hot spot temperatures. The potassium iodide oxidation yield in the presence of chlorohydrocarbons in the milli channel of up to 60 nM min-1 is comparable to values reported on hydrodynamic cavitation in literature, but lower than values for ultrasonic cavitation. These small constrictions can create high apparent cavitation collapse frequencies