Acoustic Cavitation Research Articles

Experimental analysis of heat transfer characteristics using ultrasonic acoustic waves

In this experimental work, heat transfer intensification using ultrasonic waves was investigated. A heat source, consisting in a parallelepiped aluminum block in which two electrical heating cartridges of 160 W each were mounted to heat four liters of distilled water contained in a tank made of Plexiglas. To demonstrate the effectiveness of heat transfer enhancement with the use of ultrasounds, three different configurations were analyzed. In the first one, considered as a reference case, the heat transfer was studied without ultrasound field. In the second configuration, ultrasonic acoustic waves were generated using one transducer vibrating at a fixed frequency of 40 kHz with a total power of 60 W. In the last configuration, ultrasounds were generated with two similar transducers mounted on two opposite walls of the water tank while maintaining the same power and frequency. The effect of the distance separating the heat source to the trans-ducers on the convective heat transfer coefficients and the average temperature of the water in the tank were analyzed in detail. The results revealed that the natural convection heat transfer in the water tank was intensified by means of low frequency acoustic waves. Indeed, it was shown, particularly, that more the distance between the transducer and the heater is low more the heat transfer improvement is better. The heat transfer enhancement factor was estimated to 2.5 on the surface facing the transducer while it was only about 1.2 on the opposite surface in C2 configura-tion. In C3 configuration, the heat transfer enhancement factor is nearly the same with, however, more homogenous water temperature. The acoustic cavitation and streaming were identified as the main phenomena leading to these results. This study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of heat transfer intensification using low frequency ultrasonic waves.

Comparison between hydrodynamic and ultrasound cavitation on the inactivation of lipoxygenase and physicochemical properties of soy milk

The effects of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and ultrasound cavitation (UC) on the lipoxygenase activity and physicochemical properties of soy milk were evaluated. The results revealed that both ultrasound cavitation and hydrodynamic cavitation significantly inactivated the lipoxygenase activity. After the exposure to ultrasound cavitation at 522.5 W/L and 70 °C for 12 min, the lipoxygenase activity was inactivated by 96.47 %. Meanwhile, HC treatment with the cavitation number of 0.0133 for 240 min led to the loss of 79.31 % of lipoxygenase activity. An artificial neural network was used to model and visualize the effects of different parameters after ultrasound cavitation treatment on the inactivation efficiency of soy milk. Turbiscan test results showed that hydrodynamic and ultrasound cavitation decreased the instability index and particle size of soy milk. Moreover, the total free amino acid content was significantly increased after hydrodynamic and ultrasound cavitation treatment. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that the total content of beany flavor compounds decreased after acoustic cavitation and HC treatment. Acoustic cavitation and HC affected the tertiary and secondary structure of soy milk, which was related to the inactivation of lipoxygenase. We aim to explore a potential and effective way of the application in soy milk processing by comparing the ultrasound equipped with heat treatment and hydrodymic cavitation.

Bubble cloud characteristics and ablation efficiency in dual-frequency intrinsic threshold histotripsy

Histotripsy is a non-thermal focused ultrasound ablation method that destroys tissue through the generation and activity of acoustic cavitation bubble clouds. Intrinsic threshold histotripsy uses single-cycle pulses to generate bubble clouds when the dominant negative pressure phase exceeds an intrinsic threshold of ∼25–30 MPa. The ablation efficiency is dependent upon the size and density of bubbles within the bubble cloud. This work investigates the effects of dual-frequency pulsing schemes on the bubble cloud behavior and ablation efficiency in intrinsic threshold histotripsy. A modular 500 kHz:3 MHz histotripsy transducer treated agarose phantoms using dual-frequency histotripsy pulses with a 1:1 pressure ratio from 500 kHz and 3 MHz frequency elements and varying arrival times for the 3 MHz pulse relative to the arrival of the 500 kHz pulse (−100 ns, 0 ns, and +100 ns). High-speed optical imaging captured cavitation effects to characterize bubble cloud and individual bubble dynamics. The effects of dual-frequency pulsing on lesion formation and ablation efficiency were also investigated in red blood cell (RBC) phantoms. Results showed that the single bubble and bubble cloud size for dual-frequency cases were intermediate to published results for the component single-frequencies of 500 kHz and 3 MHz. Additionally, bubble cloud size and dynamics were shown to be altered by the arrival time of the 3 MHz pulse with respect to the 500 kHz pulse, with more uniform cloud expansion and collapse observed for early (−100 ns) arrival. Finally, RBC phantom experiments showed that dual-frequency exposures were capable of generating precise lesions with smaller areas and higher ablation efficiencies than previously published results for 500 kHz or 3 MHz. Overall, results demonstrate dual-frequency histotripsy’s ability to modulate bubble cloud size and dynamics can be leveraged to produce precise lesions at higher ablation efficiencies than previously observed for single-frequency pulsing.

Ultrasonic-assisted soldering of SiC ceramic and aluminum alloy with a commercial inactive Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder

Achieving the joining of SiC ceramic and Al alloy will be potential for the broad application of high-power IGBT packages. This work proposes a novel strategy of using the commercial Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu inactive solder to achieve an active bonding between SiC ceramics and 6063Al alloy. The ultrasound promotes the intensive dissolution of Al into the solder, resulting in the solder being activated and the interfacial reaction between the SiC ceramic and solder triggered by the acoustic cavitation effect. At a shorter ultrasonic action, The dissolution of Al-based metal by the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder was low, and the Al/solder interface became uneven and precipitated fine Ag3Al2 and Al2Cu compounds in the solder. While the amount of Al dissolved by the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder increased sharply, obvious notches were found at the Al/solder interface, and a large amount of α-Al precipitates in the solder under a longer ultrasonic duration (>10 s). The SiC/solder interface evolved from partial bonding to full metallurgical bonding with the prolongation of ultrasonic actions. The shear strength of the obtained SiC and 6063Al joints reached 35 MPa at the ultrasonic time of 40 s. The amorphous Al2O3 mixed with γ-Al2O3 grains was formed in the SiC/solder interface and 6063Al/solder interface. Based on the effect of acoustics cavitation and thermodynamics, the formation mechanism of the interfacial reaction layer was discussed in detail.

Ultrasound-enhanced adsorption of amino acids from aqueous solution onto macroporous resins for green separation: Mass transfer mechanism and acoustic cavitation properties

The utilization of green technology for the recovery of renewable components has garnered significant attention. In this study, efficient and rapid separation of amino acids from aqueous solutions was achieved through ultrasound-assisted macroporous resin adsorption. The numerical simulation revealed the underlying mechanism of mass transfer during ultrasound-assisted adsorption and clarified the impact of acoustic properties on the adsorption process. Low-frequency (LFUS, 20 kHz) caused the damage of resin structure and the increase of adsorption capacity whereas these were less influenced by high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS, 1056 kHz). The external mass transfer coefficient was increased by 161% and 45% during LFUS- and HFUS-assisted adsorption than agitation-assisted adsorption. In addition, both US modes contributed to an enhancement of surface diffusion coefficient by over 100%. The predominant factor governing the intraparticle diffusion for amino acid adsorption was found to be pore volume diffusion, accounting for more than 70% of the overall process. Both LFUS and HFUS were observed to augment the influence of surface diffusion within the overarching diffusion phenomenon, aligning with the concurrent elevation of the surface diffusion coefficient. Furthermore, the mechanism of ultrasound-assisted adsorption was illustrated from the aspect of physical and sonochemical effects generated by the acoustic cavitation. The accumulated acoustic pressure of LFUS exceeded that of HFUS by a factor of 105, reflecting its strong physical effects. The connection between the mass transfer behaviour and acoustic bubble properties during ultrasound-assisted adsorption can provide guidance for the industry to apply ultrasound as a green technology to separate and recover renewable biomaterials from wastewater.

In situ observation of melt pool evolution in ultrasonic vibration-assisted directed energy deposition

The presence of defects, such as pores, in materials processed using additive manufacturing represents a challenge during the manufacturing of many engineering components. Recently, ultrasonic vibration-assisted (UV-A) directed energy deposition (DED) has been shown to reduce porosity, promote grain refinement, and enhance mechanical performance in metal components. Whereas it is evident that the formation of such microstructural features is affected by the melt pool behavior, the specific mechanisms by which ultrasonic vibration (UV) influences the melt pool remain elusive. In the present investigation, UV was applied in situ to DED of 316L stainless steel single tracks and bulk parts. For the first time, high-speed video imaging and thermal imaging were implemented in situ to quantitatively correlate the application of UV to melt pool evolution in DED. Extensive imaging data were coupled with in-depth microstructural characterization to develop a statistically robust dataset describing the observed phenomena. Our findings show that UV increases the melt pool peak temperature and dimensions, while improving the wettability of injected particles with the melt pool surface and reducing particle residence time. Near the substrate, we observe that UV results in a 92% decrease in porosity, and a 54% decrease in dendritic arm spacing. The effect of UV on the melt pool is caused by the combined mechanisms of acoustic cavitation, ultrasound absorption, and acoustic streaming. Through in situ imaging we demonstrate quantitatively that these phenomena, acting simultaneously, effectively diminish with increasing build height and size due to acoustic attenuation, consequently decreasing the positive effect of implementing UV-A DED. Thus, this research provides valuable insight into the value of in situ imaging, as well as the effects of UV on DED melt pool dynamics, the stochastic interactions between the melt pool and incoming powder particles, and the limitations of build geometry on the UV-A DED technique.

Kinetic analysis of free radical scavenging in sonochemistry

As an advanced oxidation process, high-power ultrasound produces free radicals in aqueous solution through acoustic cavitation. Whereas radical production inside the cavitation bubble is well understood, radical scavenging outside the bubble is still unexplored quantitatively. In this study, we modeled the behavior of radicals in the scavenging process by solving the diffusion-advection-reaction equations. Using terephthalate as the scavenger, the principal reaction pathways of hydroxyl radicals are identified and the scavenging efficiency is quantified. The analysis shows that among the various reactions competing for hydroxyl radicals, the scavenging by terephthalate is in disadvantage for the small mass diffusivity. It limits the replenishment of scavengers to the reaction zone and compromises radical trapping efficiency. A parametric study puts the maximum radical trapping efficiency below 30%. Our study elucidates the key factor limiting the utilization of ultrasound-induced radicals and paves the way for future efforts to maximize the sonochemical effects.

Towards in vivo immunotherapy using high intensity focused ultraosund

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been regarded as an appealing anti-cancer treatment for over a decade. HIFU indeed offers a combination of unique advantages: it is non-invasive and capable of delivering a precise and local thermal or mechanical dose without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue. HIFU is therefore already being applied as a cancer treatment in the clinics, although mostly as a thermal modality. On the other hand, immunotherapy has demonstrated remarkable promise for durable cancer treatment. However, its cost and complexity are prohibitive. Here, we evaluate (moderate) mechanical HIFU treatment and its capacity to induce immunogenic cell death with the aim to achieve immunotherapy treatment, directly in vivo. To that end, we treat a full lummox dish using an automatic scanning setup. Immunogenic cell death is monitored via distinct biomolecular markers (ATP secretion, HMGB1 secretion, calreticulin exposure). Cavitation activity is monitored via passive cavitation detection. Beyond the correspondence between acoustic cavitation and immunogenic cell death, our results also show a major influence of the cell type, namely, standard CT26 or B16F1O cells.

The relevance of bubble dynamics in ultrasonic/sonochemical processes

Acoustic cavitation bubble dynamics has been extensively studied by physicists and mathematicians. Process intensification is primarily studied by chemical engineers. Chemists tend to focus on bubble dynamics in a multibubble field to optimize the physical and chemical forces generated during acoustic cavitation with an intention to maximise/intensify chemical processes. To achieve process intensification successfully a multidisciplinary approach is required. Our early work on multibubble cavitation unveiled various factors that contribute to process optimization. For example, while single bubble dynamics can estimate the maximum bubble temperatures, they may not be relevant to achieving higher chemical yield, which in turn depends on varus other factors such as average bubble temperatures, number of active cavitation bubbles, etc. Other factors critical for process intensification include the generation of a homogeneous cavitation field, control over mass transfer effects caused by bubble oscillations, reactor design, etc. The presentation will provide an overview on the relevance of single and multibubble bubble dynamics in ultrasonic/sonochemical processes.

Controlled inertial nano-cavitation above 100 MHz

The maximum size and lifetime of an acoustically nucleated cavitation bubble is inversely proportional to the driving frequency and has achieved a limit of approximately 10 MHz. Smaller cavitation bubbles that are critical to microscopic applications require shorter lifetimes that correspond to higher oscillation frequencies. Here, we demonstrate that acoustic cavitation in the 100 MHz range and beyond can be achieved through wave propagation in a solid rather than in a liquid. The cavitation bubble is nucleated at a nano-sized fracture on a glass substrate, and its expansion is driven by a leaky Rayleigh wave, while the inertial collapse is induced by a trailing shock wave. As both waves travel at different velocities, the time interval between these two events is a function of the distance to the source. In this way, we demonstrate experimentally control of the lifetime of the bubbles in a range between 6 and 80 ns, corresponding to oscillation frequencies between 13 and 166 MHz. Our results agree with finite-volume fluid–structure interaction simulations.

Effect of water temperature and induced acoustic pressure on cavitation erosion behaviour of aluminium alloys

Cavitation erosion is a major challenge for marine and fluid machinery systems. This study investigated the erosion performance of two as-cast aluminium alloys exposed to acoustic cavitation in water at temperatures of 10–50 °C and those were then compared with an extruded wrought alloy tested specifically at the temperature of maximum erosion. The results showed that the as-cast A380 alloy displayed exceptional resistance to cavitation erosion, with the lowest mass loss and surface roughness. This finding suggests that the as-cast A380 alloy is a suitable choice for lightweight, high-performance components in applications where cavitation resistance is critical.

Numerical investigation on the influence of dual-frequency coupling parameters on acoustic cavitation and its analysis of the enhancement and attenuation effect

To understand the effect of coupling parameters between two ultrasonic waves on acoustic cavitation, in this work, Keller-Miksis equation was introduced to built a bubble dynamics model that was used to describe the dynamic evolution of bubble and to discuss the effect of dual-frequency coupling parameters, such as frequency difference f (5 ∼ 280 kHz), phase difference φ (0 ∼ 7π/4 rad), and power allocation ratio β (0 ∼ 9), on acoustic cavitation in the presence of two ultrasonic waves irradiation. The enhancement and attenuation effect of cavitation have also been analyzed in detail by comparing the different dual-frequency combinations with single-frequency mode. It was found that all coupling parameters have a significant impact on acoustic cavitation, where the smaller values of f and φ were employed when β = 1, the stronger cavitation intensity was observed. Nevertheless, as the power allocation ratio is increased from 1 to 9 at φ = 0 for different frequency differences, the acoustic cavitation exhibits an attenuation trend. When the total acoustic power is evenly distributed, namely β = 1, the largest maximum expansion ratio (i.e. 12.96) was obtained at φ = 0 and f = 5 kHz, which represents a strongest cavitation effect. In addition, for different frequency combinations, the enhancement effect is found under the mixture of low and low frequency, whereas attenuation effect is generated easily by the combination of high and low frequency. Moreover, the effect become more pronounced as the proportion of high frequency component increases.

Ultrasonic and homogenization: An overview of the preparation of an edible protein-polysaccharide complex emulsion.

Emulsion systems are extensively utilized in the food industry, including dairy products, such as ice cream and salad dressing, as well as meat products, beverages, sauces, and mayonnaise. Meanwhile, diverse advanced technologies have been developed for emulsion preparation. Compared with other techniques, high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) are two emerging emulsification methods that are cost-effective, green, and environmentally friendly and have gained significant attention. HIUS-induced acoustic cavitation helps in efficiently disrupting the oil droplets, which effectively produces a stable emulsion. HPH-induced shear stress, turbulence, and cavitation lead to droplet disruption, altering protein structure and functional aspects of food. The key distinctions among emulsification devices are covered in this review, as are the mechanisms of the HIUS and HPH emulsification processes. Furthermore, the preparation of emulsions including natural polymers (e.g., proteins-polysaccharides, and their complexes), has also been discussed in this review. Moreover, the review put forward to the future HIUSand HPH emulsification trends and challenges. HIUS and HPH can prepare much emulsifier-stable food emulsions, (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, and protein-polysaccharide complexes). Appropriate HIUS and HPH treatment can improve emulsions' rheological and emulsifying properties and reduce the emulsions droplets' size. HIUS and HPH are suitable methods for developing protein-polysaccharide forming stable emulsions. Despite the numerous studies conducted on ultrasonic and homogenization-induced emulsifying properties available in recent literature, this review specifically focuses on summarizing the significant progress made in utilizing biopolymer-based protein-polysaccharide complex particles, which can provide valuable insights for designing new, sustainable, clean-label, and improved eco-friendly colloidal systems for food emulsion. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Utilizing complex particle-stabilized emulsions is a promising approach towards developing safer, healthier, and more sustainable food products that meet legal requirements and industrial standards. Moreover, the is an increasing need of concentrated emulsions stabilized by biopolymer complex particles, which have been increasingly recognized for their potential health benefits in protecting against lifestyle-related diseases by the scientific community, industries, and consumers.

Insight into the role of dissolution mechanism in the sonochemistry of acoustic cavitation bubble

AbstractUsing a detailed numerical model, in the present work, the dissolution process of the different species generated by the acoustic cavitation bubble was investigated through the analysis of bubble chemistry over a range of wave frequencies from 140 to 515 kHz. It has been observed that during the first bubble collapse, at 140 and 213 kHz, significant amounts of ●OH, O, H●, H2, and O2 molecules (from ~ 2.1×10‐20 to 4.86×10‐18 mol) are dissolved into the bulk liquid (2.84‐0.067%). However, with the rise of ultrasound frequency (>213 kHz), the number and the quantity of the dissolved substances are decreased (<1.16×10‐20 mol) until to be completely suppressed at 515 kHz. Over the first compression period, at 140 and 213 kHz, the dissolution tendency is in the order: H2 (4.86×10‐18‐9.44×10‐19 mol) > H● (4.41×10‐18‐7.76×10‐19 mol) > O (1.8×10‐18‐2.75×10‐19 mol) > ●OH (4.68×10‐19‐1.91×10‐19 mol) > O2 (8.43×10‐20‐2.1×10‐20 mol). Nevertheless, at 355 kHz, the dissolution of the main substances is in the order: H● (1.16×10‐20 mol)>●OH (5.13×10‐21 mol)>H2 (3.59×10‐21 mol). Despite the low dissolution percentages of the different species (compared to the total yield) during the first bubble collapse (<3%), it has been observed that the corresponding molar amounts (depending on the applied frequency) are of great importance (≤ 4.86×10‐18 mol). On the other hand, independently of the number of acoustic cycles (1, 2 or 3), the dissolution tendency of the different species, at 140 and 213 kHz, is in the order: H2 > H● > O > O2 > ●OH > O3 > HO2● > H2O2. Nevertheless, above 213 kHz, this ranking starts to be disturbed with the dominance of the main species, i.e. H2, H●, O, ●OH, and O2 molecules. According to the obtained findings in the present paper, the importance of the dissolution mechanism (into the bubble chemistry) is clearly evidenced; therefore, for an accurate simulation of the chemistry of an acoustic cavitation bubble, the consideration of the dissolution process should be taken into account throughout the bubble's oscillation.

Mechanistic study of ultrasound-assisted chromatography using plastic and stainless steel columns

Based on the previous ultrasound-assisted chromatography (UAC) studies on plastic and stainless steel (SS) columns, this study explores the UAC mechanism by comparatively analyzing ultrasound effects on plastic and SS columns with C18 stationary phase when separating a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under various ultrasound intensities. The results showed a substantial difference in H values between the PEEK and SS columns under the influence of ultrasound agitation. Specifically, for the pyrene peak, as the ultrasonic intensity increased from 0% to 100% of 900 W, the H values of the SS column slightly rose from 8.82 μm to 9.86 μm. Conversely, the corresponding values for the PEEK column exhibited a significant 12-fold increase from 11.5 μm to 134 μm. The findings demonstrated poor penetration of ultrasound energy through the SS column, and the temperature rise of the medium induced by the ultrasound was the primary contributing factor to PAH separation. However, ultrasound easily penetrated through the plastic column, resulting in acoustic cavitation within the C18 polyether ether ketone (PEEK) column. Cavitation induced heat generation and contributed to a decrease in retention time and the magnitude of peak broadening or distortion, depending on the specific ultrasonic energy. Based on the estimated change in inlet temperature of the PEEK column due to an acoustic effect, the comparison with temperature effects under non-sonic conditions consistently demonstrated a stronger acoustic effect in reducing the retention time, by 2–9%, depending on specific peaks and pairs. We revisited the previously described separation mechanism of ultrasound-assisted ion chromatography and conjoined with our findings to infer and establish a thorough explanation for the previously unexplained separation mechanism of chiral separation and size exclusion chromatography by UAC using SS columns.

Black titania by sonochemistry: A critical evaluation of existing methods

In the field of photocatalysis, the fabrication of black titania is a booming topic, as it offers a system with improved solar light harvesting properties and increased overall efficiency. The darkening of white TiO2 powders can be ascribed to surface hydroxylation, oxygen vacancies, Ti3+ centres, or a combination thereof. A handful of studies suggests these defects can be conveniently introduced by acoustic cavitation, generated during sonochemical treatment of pristine TiO2 powders. In reproducing these studies, P25 TiO2 samples were ultrasonicated for various hours with a power density of 8000 W/L, resulting in powders that indeed became gradually darker with increasing sonication time. However, HAADF–STEM revealed that extensive erosion of the sonotrode tip took place and contaminated the samples, which appeared to be the primary reason for the observed colour change. This was confirmed by UV–Vis DRS and DRIFTS, that showed no significant alteration of the catalyst surface after sonication. EPR measurements showed that only an insignificant fraction of Ti3+ centres were produced, far less than in a TiO2 sample that was chemically reduced with NaBH4. No evidence of the presence oxygen vacancies could be found. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of ultrasonicated materials reported in literature can therefore not be ascribed to the synthesis of actual black (defected) TiO2, but rather to specific changes in morphology as a result of acoustic cavitation. Also, this study underlines the importance of considering probe erosion in sonochemical catalyst synthesis, which is an unavoidable side effect that can have an important impact on the catalyst appearance, properties and performance.

Liquid Phase Graphene Exfoliation with a Vibration-Based Acoustofluidic Effector.

Liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) has emerged as a promising method for the industrial-scale production of graphene. However, one of its critical steps, namely sonication, has faced challenges due to high power consumption and low efficiency, leading to limited applicability in industrial settings. This study introduces a novel, cost-effective microfluidic sonication device designed to significantly reduce power consumption while efficiently assisting the LPE process for graphene production. By coupling a capillary with a buzzer and applying an appropriate electric signal, simulation and particle tracing experiments reveal the generation of robust shear forces resulting from acoustic streaming and cavitation when the capillary end is immersed in the liquid. For the first time, the capillary-based sonication device was effectively utilized for graphene exfoliation in a DMF (N,N-Dimethylformamide) + NaOH liquid phase system. The SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and Raman characterization results corroborate the successful exfoliation of 100 nm with thicknesses below 10 nm graphene sheets from graphite flakes using this pioneering device. The values of I2D/IG increase after processing, which suggests the exfoliation of graphite flakes into thinner graphene sheets. The vibration-based acoustofluidic effector represents a versatile and scalable miniature device, capable of being employed individually for small-batch production, thereby optimizing the utilization of raw 2D materials, particularly in experimental scenarios. Alternatively, it holds the potential for large-scale manufacturing through extensive parallelization, offering distinct advantages in terms of cost-efficiency and minimal power consumption.

Enhanced thrombolytic effect induced by acoustic cavitation generated from nitrogen-doped annealed nanodiamond particles

In biomedical research, ultrasonic cavitation, especially inertial cavitation (IC) has attracted extensive attentions due to its ability to induce mechanical, chemical and thermal effects. Like ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) microbubbles or droplets, acoustic cavitation can be effectively triggered beyond a certain pressure threshold through the interaction between ultrasound and nucleation particles, leading to an enhanced thrombolytic effect. As a newly developed nanocarbon material, nitrogen-doped annealed nanodiamond (N-AND) has shown promising catalytic performance. To further explore its effects on ultrasonic cavitation, N-AND was synthesized at the temperature of 1000 °C. After systematic material characterization, the potential of N-AND to induce enhanced IC activity was assessed for the first time by using passive cavitation detection (PCD). Based on experiments performed at varied material suspension concentration and cycle number, N-AND demonstrated a strong capability to generate significant cavitation characteristics, indicating the formation of stable bubbles from the surface of the materials. Furthermore, N-AND was applied in the in vitro thrombolysis experiments to verify its contribution to ultrasound thrombolysis. The influence of surface hydrophobicity on the cavitation potentials of ND and N-AND was innovatively discussed in combination with the theory of mote-induced nucleation. It is found that the cavitation stability of N-AND was better than that of the commercial UCA microbubbles. This study would provide better understanding of the potential of novel carbonous nanomaterials as cavitation nuclei and is expected to provide guidance for their future biomedical and industrial applications.

Sonochemical reactor characterization in the presence of cylindrical and conical reflectors

Ultrasonic systems must be able to produce an acoustic field with the highest possible energy concentration in sonochemical reactors to accomplish maximum efficacy in the sonolytic degradation of water contaminants. In the present study, the impact of cylindrical and conical stainless-steel reflectors placed on the liquid surface on the sonochemical oxidation activity of ultrasonication reactors was investigated. The amount of effective acoustic power transferred to the ultrasonicated medium without and with reflectors was measured by calorimetric characterization of the sono-reactors at diverse ultrasonication frequencies in the interval of 300–800 kHz and different electrical powers in the range of 40–120 W. Iodide dosimetry without and with reflectors at diverse ultrasonication conditions (300–800 kHz and 40–120 W) and various aqueous solution volumes in the range of 300–500 mL was used to assess the sonochemical oxidation activity, i.e., the generation of oxidative species (mainly hydroxyl radicals). Sonochemiluminescence (SCL) imaging was used to study the active acoustic cavitation bubbles distribution in the sono-reactors without and with reflectors. Significant impacts of the position and shape of the reflectors on the active acoustic cavitation bubble distribution and the sonochemical oxidation activity were observed due to remarkable modifications of the ultrasonic field by directing and focusing of the ultrasonic waves. A significant augmentation in the triiodide formation rate was obtained in the presence of the conical reflector, especially at 630 kHz and 120 W (60.5% improvement), while iodide oxidation was quenched in the presence of the cylindrical reflector at all ultrasonication frequencies and powers. The SCL images show a noteworthy modification in the ultrasonic field and the acoustic cavitation bubble population when reflectors were used. The sonochemical oxidation activity was improved by the conical reflector when placed in the Fresnel zone (near field region).

Is cavitation a truly sensible choice for intensifying photocatalytic oxidation processes? – Implications on phenol degradation using ZnO photocatalysts

Phenols are recalcitrant compounds that constitute the majority of organic contaminants in industrial wastewaters. Their removal at large scales require a combination of various processes to reach the desired discharge quality. An extensive body of work has already been published in the area of phenol removal from wastewater, however none of them have focussed on a truly ‘sensible’ approach for coupling advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Rather, a higher removal efficiency was targeted by unduly complicating the process by combining multiple AOPs. The most influential AOP as the primary method typically driven by the nature of the pollutant should form the basis for a hybrid AOP followed by a complementary AOP to intensify the oxidation process. This strategy is lacking in current literature. We address this knowledge gap directly by systematically identifying the best hybrid process for ZnO mediated photocatalysis of phenol. Either a cavitation mediated pre-treatment of ZnO or cavitation-photocatalysis-peroxide based hybrid AOP was investigated. While the pre-treatment approach led to >25% increase in phenol oxidation compared to bare ZnO photocatalysis, the hydrodynamic cavitation-photocatalysis-peroxide based system was found to have a cavitational yield 5 times higher than its acoustic cavitation counterpart. A new phenomenon known as the ‘pseudo staggered effect’ was also observed and established in hydrodynamic cavitation mediated photocatalysis-peroxide hybrid process for the first time. While we demonstrated that cavitation is a truly ‘sensible’ choice to enhance photocatalysis, the nature of the pollutant under investigation must always be the key driver when designing such hybrid AOPs.