Numerical Investigation into the Chemistry Induced by Hydrodynamic Cavitation

The chemical effects induced by acoustic cavitation (popularly known as sonochemical effects) in aqueous medium are well-known and are attributed to the production of various radicals during bubble collapse. Under the influence of pressure variation due to acoustic wave, the bubble expands with the evaporation of water at the gas−liquid interface. This water vapor condenses at the gas−liquid interface during compression. At the final moments of bubble collapse, the dynamics of bubble motion is far more rapid than the diffusion dynamics of water vapor. Therefore, not all the water vapor that has entered the bubble during expansion escapes during compression. The entrapped water molecules are subjected to extremely high temperature and pressure reached during bubble collapse and undergo cleavage to produce various radicals. These radicals are then mixed with the bulk, where they induce various chemical reactions. Similar chemical effects have also been demonstrated by hydrodynamic cavitation, produced becau...