Ultrasonic cleaners, sometimes mistakenly called supersonic cleaners, are cleaning devices that use ultrasounds (usually from 20-40 kHz) to clean delicate items.

They're often employed for cleaning of jewellery, lenses and other optical parts, coins, watches, dental instrument and surgical instruments, fountain pens, industrial parts and electronic equipment. The most common household example of use would be the cleaning of a common cellular phone that has been exposed to enough moisture to hinder its operation.

The main mechanism of cleaning action is the energy released from the collapse of millions of microscopic cavitation bubbles, which are formed when ultrasoud passes through the cleaning liquid. Home cleaners are widely available (albeit not very well-known), and costs range upwards from approximately US $60.

Industrial ultrasonic cleaners are used in the automotive, sporting, printing, marine, medical, pharmaceutical, electoplating and engineering industries.

See also

• Acoustic cleaners
• Washing machine

External links

• Ultrasonics Australia Ultrasonic Cleaning