Acoustic cavitation can induce various sonochemical effects including pyrolysis and radical reactions and sonophysical effects including microjets and shockwave. In environmental engineering field, ultrasound technology using sonochemical effects can be useful for the removal and mineralization of recalcitrant trace pollutants in aqueous phase as one of emerging advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). In this study, the effect of liquid height, the distance from the transducer to the water surface, on sonochemical oxidation reactions was investigated using KI dosimetry. As the liquid height/volume increased (40~400 mm), the cavitation yield steadily increased even though the power density drastically decreased. It was found that the enhancement at higher liquid height conditions was due to the formation of standing wave field, where cavitation events could stably occur and a large amount of oxidizing radicals such as OH radicals could be continuously provided.

Keywords: Sonochemical reaction;Cavitation yield;Sonochemiluminescence (SCL);KI dosimetry;Liquid height;