Dynamics of two interacting hydrogen bubbles in liquid aluminum under the influence of a strong acoustic field.

Ultrasonic melt processing significantly improves the properties of metallic materials. However, this promising technology has not been successfully transferred to the industry because of difficulties in treating large volumes of melt. To circumvent these difficulties, a fundamental understanding of the efficiency of ultrasonic treatment of liquid metals is required. In this endeavor, the dynamics of two interacting hydrogen bubbles in liquid aluminum are studied to determine the effect of a strong acoustic field on their behavior. It is shown that coalescence readily occurs at low frequencies in the range of 16 to 20 kHz; forcing frequencies at these values are likely to promote degassing. Emitted acoustic pressures from relatively isolated bubbles that resonate with the driving frequency are in the megapascal range and these cavitation shock waves are presumed to promote grain refinement by disrupting the growth of the solidification front.