Sonolysis of Water-Methanol Mixtures

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100157a004

Methanol-water mixtures are irradiated with 1-MHz ultrasound under argon and oxygen.Typical pyrolysis and combustion products of methanol are detected (H2, CH2O, CO, CH4, and traces of C2H4 and C2H6 under argon; CO2, CO, HCOOH, CH2O, H2O2, and traces of H2 under oxygen), the relative yields of which change with the composition of the methanol-water mixture.In 10 vol percent methanol solution, the chemical yields are very much higher than those in pure water.In solutions containing more than 80 vol percent methanol, almost no chemical reactions occur.The results are discussed in terms of the changes in the temperature of adiabatically compressed cavitation bubbles with changing composition of the methanol-water mixture.Experiments on the formation of hydrogen peroxide as a function of the O2 concentration in Ar-O2 atmospheres under which a methanol solution is sonicated are also reported.