The effects of externally applied pressure on the ultrasonic degradation of Rhodamine B

The present manuscript compares the ultrasonic degradation of Rhodamine B dye under atmospheric (1 bar) and elevated pressures (1.6 and 2 bar). The degradation was studied as a function of the bulk liquid temperature and initial dye concentration at two different values of mechanical amplitudes (ultrasonic intensities). Results indicate that at the low amplitude an increase in the applied pressure increases the dye removal rate, whereas at the high amplitude, the same increase in the pressure has a minimal effect on the degradation of the dye. Furthermore, at low amplitudes an increase in the bulk liquid temperature from 5 to 35 °C increases the dye degradation by 10%. At higher intensities, the same increase in temperature has negative or no effect on the dye removal. An increase in the initial dye concentration by one order of magnitude significantly lowers the dye degradation rate regardless of the applied amplitude. Though these results are caused by numerous physical and chemical processes taking place during ultrasonic cavitation, the number of cavitation sites, bubble temperature and consequently, the amount of oxidative species inside the bubble seem to be the most important ones in determining the extent of the degradation of molecules in the bulk liquid.