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Ultrasonic cleaning

What is ultrasonic cleaning? A clear definition from the acoustics and sound section of our glossary, with 14 related terms, tools to try and further reading.

Definition of Ultrasonic cleaning

Ultrasonic cleaning is a process that uses ultrasound (usually from 20 – 40 kHz) to agitate a fluid, with a cleaning effect. Ultrasonic cleaners come in a variety of sizes, from small desktop units with an internal volume of less than 0.5 litres (0.13 US gal), to large industrial units with volumes approaching 1,000 litres (260 US gal).

The principle of the ultrasonic cleaning machine is to convert the sound energy of the ultrasonic frequency source into mechanical vibration through the transducer. The vibration generated by the ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the cleaning liquid through the cleaning tank wall so that the micro-bubbles in the liquid in the tank can keep vibrating under the action of the sound wave, destroying and separating the dirty adsorption on the surface of the object.

Depending on the object being cleaned, the process can be very rapid, completely cleaning a soiled item in minutes. In other instances, cleaning can be slower, and exceed 30 minutes.

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What is Ultrasonic cleaning?

Ultrasonic cleaning is a process that uses ultrasound (usually from 20 – 40 kHz) to agitate a fluid, with a cleaning effect.

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