What is sonification?
Sonification is the process where you use vibrations with a frequency
of 20 000 Hz to transfer energy. The vibrations cause a process called cavitation in liquids. The major advantage of sonification is that you can transfer energy without heating your sample. For that reason, sonification is often used for processes that require energy input, but where transfer by heating can have undesirable side effects.
Analis is distributor of Sonics Ultrasonic Processors and probes for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
How does a sonicator work?
A sonicator or ultrasonic liquid processor has 3 main components: an energy source, a converter, and a probe. The energy source takes the electricity of the network (230V and 50 Hz in BeNeLux) and converts it to power with a frequency of 20 000 Hz. This means that the power goes up and down 20 000 times in 1 second. The energy source sends this power to the converter.
The converter contains 4 piezo-electric crystals. These crystals have a very specific characteristic: each time the voltage goes up and down, the piezo-electric crystals will contract or expand. The 4 piezo-electric crystals are connected to a metal pin, called the hammer. Each time the crystals expand and contract, the hammer will hit the bottom of the converter. This means this process also takes place 20 000 times per second.
At the bottom of the converter, the probe is screwed in. The probe is a titanium bar that has a very specific length that resonates at 20 000 Hz. Due to resonance, the bar will contract and expand 20 000 times per second. Due to this expansion and contraction, very explosive pressure changes take place in the fluid near the probe tip. These pressure changes will cause the creation and implosion of millions of very tiny bubbles. This process is called cavitation and it transfers the energy to the fluid.
What is the difference between a sonicator and an ultrasonic bath?
An ultrasonic bath has a low intensity, and the energy transfer is very slow. The energy transfer happens across the entire bath. There is no cavitation in an ultrasonic bath. Typical applications are detaching cells from filters, cleaning production equipment, …
With sonicators, there is cavitation, and the energy transfer is very large. The intensity is very focused around the tip of the probe. But due to cavitation, the movement of the fluid is enormous. That’s why the effect on the entire volume of the fluid is the same. Typical applications are cell lysing, sonochemistry, degassing, atomization, ...
Our products
The VCX 130 is a laboratory-scale 130 watt model, programmable ultrasonic processor, and our most popular small volume system.
This model offers the same programmability as larger VCX versions.
The 1/4" probe (10 – 50 mL volumes) is included with the VCX 130, and a variety of accessories are available for various applications and sample volumes.
Part No. VCX 130A can be used to order the system without the standard probe.
Features:
- Programmable
- Pulse mode
- 10 hour timer
- Variable power output
- Wattage and Energy display
The VC 505 is a cost effective alternative to the VCX model. This 500 watt system
offers the same processing power and choice of accessories as the VCX500 without
temperature monitoring or energy set point programming.
A standard ½” diameter probe with replaceable tip is included and many optional
accessories are available to meet the needs of any application.
The VCX 500 offers 500 watts of power to handle a range of liquid processing applications. This model shares the same microprocessor based operating system and programming screens as the VCX750 system.
Using a variety of accessories, the system can process a wide range of sample types and volumes for many different applications.The VCX 500 includes a standard 1/2" diameter probe (50 – 250mL volumes) with replaceable tip.
Part No. VCX 500A can be used to order the system without the standard probe.
The VCX 750 is a powerful and versatile ultrasonic liquid processor. Using a variety of accessories, the system can process a wide range of sample types and volumes for many different applications.
The VCX 750 is microprocessor based and programmable. Intuitive screens are user friendly and easy to navigate. The 750 watt power supply has the capability of operating our largest assortment of horns and accessories. A standard 1/2" diameter probe (50 – 250mL volumes) with replaceable tip is included with the system.
Part No. VCX 750A can be used to order the system without the standard probe.
The VCX 1500 is a reliable and durable choice for many applications. This model includes a 1" diameter, 10" long probe with a 100μm maximum amplitude and a booster.
A variety of probe options are available including the flow cell inline processing accessory. Electrical requirements are 220V, 50/60Hz, single phase, 20A.
Part No. VCX 1500A can be used to order the system without the standard probe and booster.
Air cooling of the converter by compressed air is required to prevent overheating of the ultrasonic processor.
