Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-04-17 Origin: Site
In the field of tableware cleaning, the foam produced by dishwashing liquid is both a symbol of cleaning power and a burden on efficiency. The limitations of traditional chemical defoamers in terms of environmental protection and safety have pushed the industry to find more efficient solutions. Ultrasonic technology, a physical method that has shined in the fields of medicine and precision cleaning, is quietly setting off a wave of innovation in dishwashing liquid defoaming technology. Through high-frequency vibration and cavitation effect, it achieves "contactless" foam control, opening up a new path for the cross-border integration of cleaning chemistry and acoustic engineering.
1. Foam dilemma: paradigm shift from chemical inhibition to physical intervention
The essence of detergent foam is the rigid film structure formed by surfactant molecules at the gas-liquid interface. Traditional defoamers break bubbles by reducing film elasticity, but there are two major pain points:
1.1 Chemical residue risk: Silicone defoamers may form microplastic pollution in water bodies, and EU REACH regulations have imposed restrictions on the use of some ingredients.
2.2 Dynamic balance out of control: Foam generation and dissolution continue to alternate during washing, and static chemical defoaming is difficult to respond in real time.
The intervention of ultrasonic technology marks the shift of defoaming strategy from "chemical confrontation" to "physical regulation". By precisely controlling the sound wave parameters, the dynamic balance of foam volume can be achieved within milliseconds.
2. The triple physical mechanism of ultrasonic defoaming
2.1. Cavitation effect: energy explosion in the microscopic world
When 20-100kHz ultrasonic waves penetrate liquids, transient cavitation bubbles with a diameter of about 2-50μm are formed in the negative pressure phase. These bubbles collapse violently in the positive pressure phase, producing a local microenvironment with a high temperature of 5000K and a high pressure of 1000atm (as shown in Figure 1). This microscopic explosion can directly tear the foam film structure. Experiments show that the energy released by the collapse of a single cavitation bubble can penetrate 10 layers of surfactant molecular membranes.
2.2. Vibration peeling: an accelerator for liquid film drainage
High-frequency mechanical vibrations (usually up to 20,000 times/second) induce the resonance effect of the foam liquid film. When the vibration frequency forms a harmonic resonance with the natural frequency of the liquid film (about 100-500Hz), the liquid film drainage speed increases by 5-8 times, causing the foam to break due to the thinning of the liquid film. This effect is particularly significant in the rotating scene of the dishwasher spray arm.
2.3. Acoustic streaming: intelligent targeting of foam groups
The acoustic streaming formed by ultrasound in liquid has programmable flow characteristics. Through the design of phased array transducers, the acoustic wave energy can be guided to focus precisely on the foam accumulation areas such as the dishwasher filter and pipe bends, achieving directional defoaming of "pointing where to hit". Data from a certain brand laboratory showed that this intelligent defoaming saves 27% of flushing water.
Ultrasonic defoaming technology is reshaping the underlying logic of the cleaning industry - it frees dishwashing liquid from dependence on chemical additives, and makes "physical cleaning" move from concept to practical use. When 40kHz sound waves oscillate silently in the dishwasher, those fleeting cavitation bubbles not only break the foam, but also break the mindset of traditional cleaning technology. Perhaps in the near future, when we turn on the faucet, it will not only stimulate the water flow, but also a whole set of intelligently controlled acoustic cleaning fields, and the starting point of all this is today's microscopic battle between ultrasound and foam.
