Qualitative characterization of ultrasound reactors for heterogeneous sonochemistry

Abstract Several measurement methods (thermocouple probe, perforation of aluminium foils by cavitation, chemical dosimeter) are used to characterize the sound fields of low and high intensity ultrasound reactors and to find optimal conditions for the ultrasonic irradiation of heterogeneous reaction mixtures. In this Paper it is shown that, due to the formation of standing waves, the local ultrasound intensity in a flask fixed in an ultrasonic cleaner is strongly susceptible to small changes in experimental conditions. It is also shown that high intensity ultrasound sources, such as an ultrasonic horn, tend to uncouple: that is, cavitation only occurs at the radiating surface and only marginal ultrasound intensity can be detected elsewhere in the surrounding liquid.