An Explanation of Ultrasonics Cleaning

Ultrasonic cleaning is a result of sound waves introduced into a cleaning liquid by means of a series of "transducers" mounted to the cleaning tank. The sound travels throughout the tank and creates waves of compression and expansion in the liquid. In the compression wave, the molecules of the cleaning liquid are compressed together tightly. Conversely, in the expansion wave, the molecules are pulled apart rapidly. The expansion is so dramatic that the molecules are ripped apart, creating microscopic bubbles. The bubbles are not seen by the naked eye since they are so small and exist for only a split second of time. The bubbles contain a partial vacuum while they exist. As the pressure around the bubbles becomes greater, the fluid around the bubble rushes in, collapsing the bubble very rapidly. When this occurs, a jet of liquid is created that may travel at this very high rate. They rise in temperature to as high as 5000 degrees C, which is roughly the temperature of the surface of the sun. This extreme temperature, combined with the liquid jet's velocity provides a very intense cleaning action in a minute area. Because of the very short duration of the bubble expansion and collapse cycle, the liquid surrounding the bubble quickly absorbs the heat and the area cools quickly. As a result, the tank and liquid becomes only warm and does not heat up due to the introduction of parts during the cleaning process.