Measurement of cavitational activity within ultrasonic baths.

The formation of free iodine from the KI/CCl4 chemical dosimeter has been used to quantify the amount of cavitational activity occurring within a 25 kHz cleaning bath under various exposure conditions. The amount of activity occurring within the bath was related to the supply voltage to the cleaning bath, the time of exposure and the volume of solution. An important observation was that the amount of cavitational activity occurring within a glass beaker suspended within a water-filled bath varied by as much as a factor of ten if that beaker contained different volumes of the test solution. Also, the amount of cavitation occurring within the exposure vessel and its contents of an ultrasonic cleaning bath will assist in the cleaning of dental instruments and their accessories.