Ultrasound: a powerful tool for leaching

The applications of ultrasound as auxiliary energy for accelerating leaching processes are reviewed to alert analysts to its advantages. The widely used batch systems are compared with dynamic systems, the use of which is still very rare. Comparison of ultrasound-assisted leaching with other sorts of leaching, such as Soxhlet, microwave-assisted and supercritical fluid extraction, shows the potential of ultrasound for leaching in a number of areas. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.