Acoustic bubble sizes, coalescence, and sonochemical activity in aqueous electrolyte solutions saturated with different gases

Abstract

Acoustic bubble sizes, coalescence behavior, and sonochemical activity have been investigated in water in the presence of various electrolyte additives (KCl, HCl, and NaNO3) and saturating gases-helium, air, and argon. A strong correlation was identified between the bubble radius and the dissolved gas concentration in the cavitation medium. The extent of bubble coalescence for each gas was also studied in different electrolyte solutions. A causal relationship between coalescence and bubble size was inferred. Importantly, the effects of the different electrolytes could be completely attributed to their "salting out" effect on the dissolved gas, providing valuable insight into the contentious ..