Scaled-up sonochemical microreactor with increased efficiency and reproducibility

Abstract

Bubbles created with ultrasound from artificial microscopic crevices can improve energy efficiency values for the creation of radicals; nevertheless it has been conducted so far only under special laboratory conditions. Limited reproducibility of results and poor energy efficiency are constraints for the sonochemistry and ultrasonics community to scale-up applied chemical processes. For the first time, using conventional ultrasonic bath technology, the numbering-up and scale-up of a microfluidic sonochemical reactor has been achieved. Sonochemical effects such as radical production and sonochemiluminescence were intensified by the modification of the inner walls of a novel Cavitation Intensification Bag. While 25 times bigger than the previous microreactor, a reduction of 22 % in standard deviation and an increase of 45.1 % in efficiency compared to bags without pits were obtained. Mechanical effects accompanying bubble collapse lead to two distinct types of erosion marks observed in the bags.