Effect of Ultrasound Frequency on Pulsed Sonolytic Degradation of Octylbenzene Sulfonic Acid

Abstract

It has been shown that pulsed ultrasound can influence the amount of surfactant that can adsorb to and decompose at the surface of cavitation bubbles. However, the effect of ultrasound frequency on this process has not been considered. The current study investigates the effect of ultrasound frequency on the pulsed sonolytic degradation of octyl benzenesulfonate (OBS). Furthermore, the effect of pulsing and ultrasound frequency on the rate of *OH radical formation was determined. OBS degradation rates were compared to the rates of *OH radical formation. In this way, conclusions were made regarding the relative importance of accumulation of OBS at cavitation bubble surfaces versus sonochemical activity to the sonochemical decomposition of OBS under different conditions of sonolysis. Comparisons of the data in this way indicate that sonolytic degradation of OBS depends on both the sonochemical activity (i.e., *OH yield) and the accumulation of OBS on cavitation bubble surfaces. However, under a certain set of pulsing and ultrasound frequency exposure conditions, enhanced accumulation of OBS at the gas/solution interface of cavitation bubbles is the sole mechanism of enhanced degradation due to pulsing. On the basis of this finding, conclusions on how pulsing at various ultrasound frequencies affects cavitation bubbles were made.