SBIR Phase I: Sonochemical Reactor

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will design, build, and characterize a highly efficient sonochemical reactor. Sonochemistry is known to dramatically accelerate liquid reactions through the generation of micron sized cavitation bubbles. Unfortunately, its use has been limited to the laboratory due to the small fraction of the acoustic power actually coupled into cavitation events. Now, an innovative combination of physics, acoustics, and hydrodynamics promises to enable efficient coupling of the sound field to generate cavitation. This novel sonochemical reactor will enable industrial application of the enormous increase in chemical reactivity due to ultrasound and cavitation. The broader impact/commercial potential from this technology could enable efficient scale-up of the ultrasonic processing of liquids and slurries and creation of efficient sonochemical reactors which will reduce industrial processing costs through enhanced mixing and reactivity. Sonochemistry has significant and broad applications in mixed-phase synthesis, materials chemistry, and biomedicine. Biodiesel synthesis, pharmaceutical crystallization, and water purification are examples of commercial opportunities for ten fold increases in throughput via sonochemistry. A new industry of sonochemical processing will emerge from low power ultrasound diagnostics and cleaning applications. The theoretical understanding developed in this project will advance acoustics and chemical engineering.