Comparing cleaning effects of gas and vapor bubbles in ultrasonic fields

The dynamic actions of cavitation bubbles in ultrasonic fields can clean surfaces. Gas and vapor cavitation bubbles exhibit different dynamic behaviors in ultrasonic fields, yet little attention has been given to the distinctive cleaning effects of gas and vapor bubbles. We present an experimental investigation of surface cleaning by gas and vapor bubbles in an ultrasonic field. Using high-speed videography, we found that the primary motions of gas and vapor bubbles responsible for surface cleaning differ. Our cleaning tests under different contamination conditions in terms of contaminant adhesion strength and surface wettability reveal that vapor and gas bubbles are more effective at removing contaminants with strong and weak adhesion, respectively, and furthermore that hydrophobic substrates are better cleaned by vapor bubbles. Our study not only provides a better physical understanding of the ultrasonic cleaning process, but also proposes novel techniques to improve ultrasonic cleaning by selectively employing gas and vapor bubbles depending on the characteristics of the surface to be cleaned.

Automated summary

The study found that gas and vapor cavitation bubbles exhibit different dynamic behaviors and cleaning effects in ultrasonic fields, with each being more effective at removing contaminants with different adhesion strengths. Furthermore, hydrophobic substrates are better cleaned by vapor bubbles. This research not only provides a better understanding of the ultrasonic cleaning process, but also proposes novel techniques for improving cleaning by selectively using gas and vapor bubbles based on surface characteristics.