Depolymerization by Ultrasonic Irradiation: The Role of Cavitation

Abstract

Contrary to current belief, cavitation has been found responsible for the depolymerizing effect of intense ultrasonic waves. This was demonstrated by irradiating two portions of a 1 percent polystyrene solution in toluene under conditions identical except for the following. The first portion was given no special prior treatment, showed many cavitation bubbles during irradiation, and decreased in molecular weight (as measured by the intrinsic viscosity) to about one-tenth of the initial value. The second portion was given a preliminary treatment of degassing by boiling under vacuum, showed no cavitation bubbles during the irradiation, and underwent no appreciable change in molecular weight. Similar experiments with solutions of hydroxyethyl cellulose in water showed that, in this case also, cavitation is necessary for depolymerization. The opposite conclusion of earlier investigators is attributed to their inadequate method for eliminating cavitation. Oxidants known to be produced by ultrasonic waves in solutions containing dissolved oxygen or nitrogen cannot be responsible for the degradation, because substantially the same amount of depolymerization occurs even when helium is the only gas present.