Effect of liquid-phase properties on ultrasound intensity and cavitational activity

The intensity of ultrasound is attenuated due to various properties of the liquid, such as viscosity, density, etc. In this paper, a simple method is proposed to measure the combined attenuation and cavitational activity of ultrasound intensity in various organic liquids using standard KI decomposition reaction. A modified experimental attenuation coefficient is proposed and its dependence on liquid viscosity reasonably matches the theoretical predictions made by Stokes [G.G. Stokes, Trans. Camb. Philos. Soc. 8 (1849) 287]. Exploratory work to determine the effect of other liquid properties on cavitational activity is carried out. Correlations are proposed to explain the dependence of the attenuated cavitational activity on various properties of a liquid.