A method and apparatus for treating mixtures with ultrasonic energy. In one embodiment,
the mixture can include a selected constituent and the method can include directing
a continuous flow of the mixture into a treatment apparatus and altering a phase
and/or a chemical composition of the selected constituent by exposing the mixture
to ultrasonic energy while the mixture flows through the apparatus. The mixture
can then be removed from the apparatus. In one aspect of this embodiment, the mixture
can be under pressure while being exposed to the ultrasonic energy and the mixture
can subsequently be exposed to a vacuum source to remove gas from the mixture.
In another aspect of the invention, the ultrasonic energy can have a first frequency
and the mixture can be exposed to ultrasonic energy of a second frequency different
than the first frequency while in the apparatus. The ultrasonic energy can cavitate
a liquid portion of the mixture to generate heat that can kill pathogens in the
mixture (when the selected constituent includes pathogens) and/or oxidize the selected
constituent to produce an ash and a gas.
