Harnessing cavitational effects for green process intensification

Abstract The impressive chemico-physical effects observed in sonochemistry are a result of cavitation, as ultrasonic and hydrodynamic cavitation does not interact with matter at the atomic and molecular levels. Bubble collapse leads to the quasi-adiabatic heating of the vapour inside bubbles, giving rise to local hot spots in the fluid. Cavitation thus transforms a mechanical energy into high kinetic energy, which is released in very short bursts that are exploited for green process intensification. This paper reviews relevant applications of hydrodynamic and acoustic cavitation with the aim of highlighting the particular advantages that these phenomena offer to the intensification of green chemical processes. Emulsification, biodiesel preparation, wastewater decontamination, organic synthesis, enzymatic catalysis and extractions are discussed among others. As a comparison, hydrodynamic cavitation technique is more advantageous in dealing with process intensification at large-scale, as well as the enhancement of mass transfer and heat transfer, while ultrasonic cavitation technique is more convenient to operate, easier to control in the studies at lab-scale, and exhibits more efficient in producing active free radicals and inducing the cleavage of volatile compounds.