The Use of Ultrasonic Energy for Cleaning Eggs

Abstract ULTRASONIC cleaning employs high frequency sound waves to build and collapse (cavitate and decavitate) thousands of microscopic bubbles within a liquid cleaning medium. The collapsing and reforming of these minute bubbles results in agitation, and a scrubbing effect on soil. The scrubbing action in a solution is accomplished by cavitation (Carlin, 1949). Sound waves, passing through a liquid, create small vacuum pockets which almost immediately collapse. The rapid implosion of thousands of these cavitations results in a scrubbing action, particularly at the interface between the product and the soil to be removed. A scrubbing action by itself, whether generated electronically or by any other means, is not sufficient. The primary purpose of agitation is to increase the physical and chemical soil-removing action of the cleaning solution. Once loosened, the soil must be held in suspension in the solution and must be kept from redeposition on the eggs. For this purpose, …