Some contaminants are comprised of loosely attached insoluble particles, held in place by ionic or cohesive forces. These particles need only be removed sufficiently to break the forces of attraction that have to be removed.
 

Cavitation and implosion as the result of ultrasound activity remove loosely attached contaminants, such as dust, from surfaces. In order for it to be effective, the cleaning medium needs to be able to soak the particles that need to be removed.
 

Complex Contaminants

Naturally, contaminants may also be more complex in nature, comprised of combined dirt consisting of soluble and insoluble components. The effect of ultrasound is substantially the same in these cases, with mechanical agitation helping to regulate speed, whilst also dissolving soluble contaminants and removing insoluble particles. Ultrasound activity has also been shown to speed up or inhibit many chemical reactions. This is probably primarily caused by the high levels of energy created when high pressures and temperatures are generated in the areas of implosion. It seems that the superior results achieved in many ultrasound washing operations may be partly attributed to the sound and chemical effect.

A Superior Process

In the previous animations, the surface of the part to be cleaned was represented as a flat surface. In reality, surfaces are rarely flat. They often contain hills, valleys and all kinds of forms. The animation on the right shows why ultrasound energy has been proven to provide more effective cleaning than other alternatives, including spray washing, brushing, turbulence, aerial agitation and even electric cleaning in many applications. Ultrasound has also been shown to have a considerable ability to penetrate and assist in washing internal surfaces of complex components.