Limited damage of tissue mimic caused by a collapsing bubble under low-frequency ultrasound exposure

In this study, we investigated the bubble induced serious damage to tissue mimic exposed to 27-kHz ultrasound. The initial bubble radius ranged from 80 to 100 μm, which corresponded approximately to the experimentally-evaluated resonant radius of the given ultrasound frequency. The tissue mimic consisted of 10 wt% gelatine gel covered with cultured canine kidney epithelial cells. The collapsing bubble behaviour during the ultrasound exposure with negative peak pressures of several hundred kPa was captured by a high-speed camera system. After ultrasound exposure, a cell viability test was conducted based on microscopic bright-field images and fluorescence images for living and dead cells. In the viability test, cells played a role in indicating the damaged area. The bubble oscillations killed the cells, and on occasion detached layers of cultured cells from the gel. The damaged area was comparable or slightly larger than the initial bubble size, and smaller than the maximum bubble size. We concluded that only a small area in close proximity to the bubble could be damaged even above transient cavitation threshold.     

Mechanistic insight into sonochemical biodiesel synthesis using heterogeneous base catalyst

The beneficial effect of ultrasound on transesterification reaction is well known. Heterogeneous (or solid) catalysts for biodiesel synthesis have merit that they do not contaminate the byproduct of glycerol. In this paper, we have attempted to identify the mechanistic features of ultrasound–enhanced biodiesel synthesis with the base–catalyst of CaO. A statistical design of experiments (Box–Behnken) was used to identify the influence of temperature, alcohol to oil molar ratio and catalyst loading on transesterification yield. The optimum values of these parameters for the highest yield were identified through Response Surface Method (with a quadratic model) and ANOVA. These values are: temperature = 62 °C, molar ratio = 10:1 and catalyst loading = 6 wt.%. The activation energy was determined as 82.3 kJ/mol, which is higher than that for homogeneous catalyzed system (for both acidic and basic catalyst). The experimental results have been analyzed vis–à–vis simulations of cavitation bubble dynamics. Due to 3–phase heterogeneity of the system, the yield was dominated by intrinsic kinetics, and the optimum temperature for the highest yield was close to boiling point of methanol. At this temperature, the influence of cavitation bubbles (in terms of both sonochemical and sonophysical effect) is negligible, and ultrasonic micro–streaming provided necessary convection in the system. The influence of all parameters on the reaction system was found to be strongly inter–dependent.     

Size-selective separation of submicron particles in suspensions with ultrasonic atomization

Aqueous suspensions containing silica or polystyrene latex were ultrasonically atomized for separating particles of a specific size. With the help of a fog involving fine liquid droplets with a narrow size distribution, submicron particles in a limited size-range were successfully separated from suspensions. Performance of the separation was characterized by analyzing the size and the concentration of collected particles with a high resolution method. Irradiation of 2.4 MHz ultrasound to sample suspensions allowed the separation of particles of specific size from 90 to 320 nm without regarding the type of material. Addition of a small amount of nonionic surfactant, PONPE20 to SiO₂ suspensions enhanced the collection of finer particles, and achieved a remarkable increase in the number of collected particles. Degassing of the sample suspension resulted in eliminating the separation performance. Dissolved air in suspensions plays an important role in this separation.     

Production of particulates from transducer erosion: Implications on food safety

The formation of metallic particulates from erosion was investigated by running a series of transducers at various frequencies in water. Two low frequency transducer sonotrodes were run for 7.5 h at 18 kHz and 20 kHz. Three high frequency plates operating at megasonic frequencies of 0.4 MHz, 1 MHz, and 2 MHz were run over a 7 days period. Electrical conductivity and pH of the solution were measured before and after each run. A portion of the non-sonicated and treated water was partially evaporated to achieve an 80-fold concentration of particles and then sieved through nano-filters of 0.1 μm, 0.05 μm, and 0.01 μm. An aliquot of the evaporated liquid was also completely dried on strips of carbon tape to determine the presence of finer particles post sieving. An aliquot was analyzed for detection of 11 trace elements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICPMS). The filters and carbon tapes were analyzed by FE-SEM imaging to track the presence of metals by EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy) and measure the particle size and approximate composition of individual particles detected. Light microscopy visualization was used to calculate the area occupied by the particles present in each filter and high resolution photography was used for visualization of sonotrode surfaces. The roughness of all transducers before and after sonication was tested through profilometry. No evidence of formation of nano-particles was found at any tested frequency. High amounts of metallic micron-sized particles at 18 kHz and 20 kHz formed within a day, while after 7 day runs only a few metallic micro particles were detected above 0.4 MHz. Erosion was corroborated by an increase in roughness in the 20 kHz tip after ultrasound. The elemental analysis showed that metal leach occurred but values remained below accepted drinking water limits, even after excessively long exposure to ultrasound. With the proviso that the particles measured here were only characterized in two dimensions and could be nanoparticulate in terms of the third dimension, this research suggests that there are no serious health implications resulting from the formation of nanoparticles under the evaluation conditions. Therefore, high frequency transducer plates can be safely operated in direct contact with foods. However, due to significant production of metallic micro-particulates, redesign of lower frequency sonotrodes and reaction chambers is advised to enable operation in various food processing direct-contact applications.     

A phenomenological investigation into the opposing effects of fluid flow on sonochemical activity at different frequency and power settings. 2. Fluid circulation at high frequencies

Sonochemical activity is dependent on flow patterns within the reactor and either no affect or a decrease in activity was observed at 376, 995, and 1179 kHz from overhead stirring. The interaction of fluid flow with ultrasound was further investigated in this study with circulatory flow. The effect of fluid circulation on radical production was investigated at two circulation speeds, with and without surface stabilisation. The sonochemical activity was determined by the yield of hydrogen peroxide, measured by iodide dosimetry. The sonochemically active region was pictured using sonochemiluminescence imaging and the flow fields were visualised with dyed flow videos. At 376 and 995 kHz, an increase in sonochemical activity was observed with the slower flow rate; however at 1179 kHz, the sonochemical activity was either not affected or decreased. The observed changes in sonochemical activity were attributed to an increase in asymmetry of the bubble collapse brought about by fluid motion.     

Role of H2O2 in the fluctuating patterns of COD (chemical oxygen demand) during the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) using pilot scale triple frequency ultrasound cavitation reactor

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a highly contaminating wastewater due to its high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Conventional treatment methods require longer residence time (10–15 days) and higher operating cost. Owing to this, finding a suitable and efficient method for the treatment of POME is crucial. In this investigation, ultrasound cavitation technology has been used as an alternative technique to treat POME. Cavitation is the phenomenon of formation, growth and collapse of bubbles in a liquid. The end process of collapse leads to intense conditions of temperature and pressure and shock waves which assist various physical and chemical transformations. Two different ultrasound systems i.e. ultrasonic bath (37 kHz) and a hexagonal triple frequency ultrasonic reactor (28, 40 and 70 kHz) of 15 L have been used. The results showed a fluctuating COD pattern (in between 45,000 and 60,000 mg/L) while using ultrasound bath alone, whereas a non-fluctuating COD pattern with a final COD of 27,000 mg/L was achieved when hydrogen peroxide was introduced. Similarly for the triple frequency ultrasound reactor, coupling all the three frequencies resulted into a final COD of 41,300 mg/L compared to any other individual or combination of two frequencies. With the possibility of larger and continuous ultrasonic cavitational reactors, it is believed that this could be a promising and a fruitful green process engineering technique for the treatment of POME.     

Cavitation erosion mechanism of titanium alloy radiation rods in aluminum melt

Ultrasound radiation rods play a key role in introducing ultrasonic to the grain refinement of large-size cast aluminum ingots (with diameter over 800 mm), but the severe cavitation corrosion of radiation rods limit the wide application of ultrasonic in the metallurgy field. In this paper, the cavitation erosion of Ti alloy radiation rod (TARR) in the semi-continuous direct-chill casting of 7050 Al alloy was investigated using a 20 kHz ultrasonic vibrator. The macro/micro characterization of Ti alloy was performed using an optical digital microscopy and a scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results indicated that the cavitation erosion and the chemical reaction play different roles throughout different corrosion periods. Meanwhile, the relationship between mass-loss and time during cavitation erosion was measured and analyzed. According to the rate of mass-loss to time, the whole cavitation erosion process was divided into four individual periods and the mechanism in each period was studied accordingly.     

Characterization of HIFU transducers designed for sonochemistry application: Acoustic streaming

Cavitation distribution in a High Intensity Focused Ultrasound sonoreactors (HIFU) has been extensively described in the recent literature, including quantification by an optical method (Sonochemiluminescence SCL). The present paper provides complementary measurements through the study of acoustic streaming generated by the same kind of HIFU transducers. To this end, results of mass transfer measurements (electrodiffusional method) were compared to optical method ones (Particle Image Velocimetry). This last one was used in various configurations: with or without an electrode in the acoustic field in order to have the same perturbation of the wave propagation. Results show that the maximum velocity is not located at the focal but shifted near the transducer, and that this shift is greater for high powers. The two cavitation modes (stationary and moving bubbles) are greatly affect the hydrodynamic behavior of our sonoreactors: acoustic streaming and the fluid generated by bubble motion. The results obtained by electrochemical measurements show the same low hydrodynamic activity in the transducer vicinity, the same shift of the active focal toward the transducer, and the same absence of activity in the post-focal axial zone. The comparison with theoretical Eckart’s velocities (acoustic streaming in non-cavitating media) confirms a very high activity at the “sonochemical focal”, accounted for by wave distortion, which induced greater absorption coefficients. Moreover, the equivalent liquid velocities are one order of magnitude larger than the ones measured by PIV, confirming the enhancement of mass transfer by bubbles oscillation and collapse close to the surface, rather than from a pure streaming effect.     

Ultrasound energy to accelerate dye uptake and dye–fiber interaction of reactive dye on knitted cotton fabric at low temperatures

Acoustic cavitation formed due to propagation of ultrasound wave inside a dye bath was successfully used to dye cotton fabric with a reactive dye at lower temperatures. The energy input to the system during sonication was 0.7 W/cm². This was within the energy range that contributes towards forming cavitation during ultra-sonication. The influence of ultrasound treatment on dye particle size and fiber morphology is discussed. Particle size analysis of the dye bath revealed ultra-sonication energy was capable of de-agglomeration of hydrolyzed dye molecules during dyeing. SEM micrograph and AFM topographical image of the fiber surface revealed fiber morphology remains unchanged after the sonication. The study was extended in understanding the contribution of ultrasound method of dyeing towards achieving good color strength on the fabric, compared to the normal heating method of dyeing. Study showed color strength obtained using ultra sound method of dyeing is higher compared to normal heating dyeing. Ultrasound energy was able to achieve the good color strength on cotton fabric at very low temperature such as 30 °C, which was approximately 230% more than the color strength achieved in normal heating method of dyeing. This indicates that energy input to the system using ultrasound was capable of acting as an effective alternative method of dyeing knitted cotton fabrics with reactive dye.     

Scavenging dissolved oxygen via acoustic droplet vaporization

Acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) of perfluorocarbon emulsions has been explored for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Previous studies have demonstrated that vaporization of a liquid droplet results in a gas microbubble with a diameter 5–6 times larger than the initial droplet diameter. The expansion factor can increase to a factor of 10 in gassy fluids as a result of air diffusing from the surrounding fluid into the microbubble. This study investigates the potential of this process to serve as an ultrasound-mediated gas scavenging technology. Perfluoropentane droplets diluted in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were insonified by a 2 MHz transducer at peak rarefactional pressures lower than and greater than the ADV pressure amplitude threshold in an in vitro flow phantom. The change in dissolved oxygen (DO) of the PBS before and after ADV was measured. A numerical model of gas scavenging, based on conservation of mass and equal partial pressures of gases at equilibrium, was developed. At insonation pressures exceeding the ADV threshold, the DO of air-saturated PBS decreased with increasing insonation pressures, dropping as low as 25% of air saturation within 20 s. The decrease in DO of the PBS during ADV was dependent on the volumetric size distribution of the droplets and the fraction of droplets transitioned during ultrasound exposure. Numerically predicted changes in DO from the model agreed with the experimentally measured DO, indicating that concentration gradients can explain this phenomenon. Using computationally modified droplet size distributions that would be suitable for in vivo applications, the DO of the PBS was found to decrease with increasing concentrations. This study demonstrates that ADV can significantly decrease the DO in an aqueous fluid, which may have direct therapeutic applications and should be considered for ADV-based diagnostic or therapeutic applications.