Effect of ultrasound irradiation on solvent extraction process

The temperature and pressure profiles of four solvents were simulated at various ultrasonic power levels to suggest models for predicting the energy density. The acoustics mode and heat transfer mode of COMSOL Multiphysics™ were used to predict the temperature and pressure profiles, respectively. For water, the maximum and minimum pressure at 300 W and 450 W of ultrasonic power level were 8.838 × 106 Pa and −9.533 × 106 Pa, and 1.028 × 107 Pa and −1.1167 × 107 Pa, respectively. The pressure gap was in the order of water, hexane, methanol and ethanol. For ethanol, the maximum and minimum temperature of 450 W in 1200 s was 337.15 K and 298.25 K, respectively. The energy density of ethanol was the highest among solvents while that of water showed the lowest value. The pressure, temperature and energy density increased with increasing ultrasonic power and irradiation time. The energy density was inversely proportional to temperature, but the cavitation density was in proportion to temperature. The solubility increased with increasing temperature. In overall, the temperature-dependent effect was considered in ultrasound-induced extraction process.