This invention relates to cavitators. It is known to act upon materials in the form of liquids or slurries by use of a plate or surface which is vibrated at small amplitude and high frequency. Particularly, the material to be acted upon can either be maintained in a stationary tank or passed through a duct into a container in which the vibrating plate is mounted to achieve continuous flow. The vibrating plate acts to form bubbles in the material adjacent the surface as it vibrates. Such action is known as cavitation. This can be used to mix the material, as an emulsifier or to initiate or speed up chemical reactions which take place within the container.
In order to oscillate the cavitation plate, the plate is connected by communication means to an oscillator vibrating at high frequency. Todate, all such oscillators have used electromagnetic techniques which provide frequencies lying in the range of 16,000 Hz to 1,000,000 Hz that is above the audible range or in the ultrasonic range. One megaHz is the practical upper limit for cavitation. In view of the electromagnetic forces involved, such ultrasonic devices have a fixed force output and are severely restricted in the total output available.