Ultrasonic Cleaning

1/14/2017 (Permalink)

Restored porcelain Buddha through ultrasonic cleaning

What picture comes to mind when you think of the word "ultrasonic"? Well, one of the things ultrasound waves can do is....clean your belongings from various contaminants, including mold and soot. In fact, the items can be anything from jewelry, glass, and ceramic materials to even electronics - computers and TV's. 

The high-frequency waves can be used with just water, but use of a solvent along with the soiling enhances the effect. Cleaning normally last between 3 - 6 minutes, but can also exceed 20 minutes, depending on the object.

OK, but what exactly goes on inside of the ultrasonic cleaner??? In a process called cavitation, bubbles form and grow. Prior to the bubble implosion, there is a tremendous amount of energy stored inside of them. When the implosion occurs near a hard surface, it changes the bubbles into a jet, which travels at extremely high speeds towards the hard surface. With the combination of pressure, temperature, and velocity, the jet frees contaminants from their bonds with the substrate. Because of the small size of the jet and the large energy, ultrasonic cleaning reaches into the small crevices and removes entrapped soils very efficiently.