Ultrasonic horn

An ultrasonic horn (also known as acoustic horn, sonotrode, acoustic waveguide, ultrasonic probe) is a tapering metal bar commonly used for augmenting the oscillation displacement amplitude provided by an ultrasonic transducer operating at the low end of the ultrasonic frequency spectrum (commonly between 15 and 100 kHz). The device is necessary because the amplitudes provided by the transducers themselves are insufficient for most practical applications of power ultrasound. Another function of the ultrasonic horn is to efficiently transfer the acoustic energy from the ultrasonic transducer into the treated media, which may be solid (for example, in ultrasonic welding, ultrasonic cutting or ultrasonic soldering) or liquid (for example, in ultrasonic homogenization, sonochemistry, milling, emulsification, spraying or cell disruption). Ultrasonic processing of liquids relies on intense shear forces and extreme local conditions (temperatures up to 5000 K and pressures up to 1000 atm) generated by acoustic cavitation.