Working Principle

Impact on Surfaces

SonoSteam^® is a new innovative technology. With a combination of steam and ultrasound microorganisms can be reduced on surfaces.

The zone of air closest to the surface serves as a protective mantel restricting vapour and heat exchange across the surface. This layer is often referred to as the laminar boundary layer.

The ultrasound sets the air of the laminar zone in a state with intensified molecular oscillations causing the steam to be continuously pumped and forced towards the very surface of the target material. This result in a destruction of the protective characteristics of the boundary layer and hot steam can now enter microstructures and pits in the surface and secure fast heat transfer. The continuous pumping of new steam creates a fast, substantial flux of heat to the surface structure.

Due to the small size of microorganisms, these are heated and killed so quickly, that the depth of heat entrance into the surface of the product is kept at a minimum. Therefore the treatment can be stopped before the surface is sensory affected. That is why the effective processing time in a SonoSteam treatment is very short, for some applications even shorter than one second.

This means that the method gently handles the decontamination of heat sensitive products such as fresh and processed food products, where sensory changes are not acceptable.