The use of high-intensity ultrasound in processing is usually based on the application of non-linear effects produced by finite amplitude pressure changes. The most important effects of high-intensity ultrasound are: heat, cavitation, agitation, acoustic flow, interfacial instability, friction, diffusion, and mechanical fracture. These effects can be used to enhance various processes, such as mechanical processing, welding, metal forming and powder densification in solids; cleaning, emulsification, liquid atomization, acceleration of chemical reactions, degassing, defoaming, drying, aerosol agglomeration, etc. 

A certain number of these processes have been introduced in the industry, but many of them are still in the laboratory stage and have not yet been commercially developed. This may be due to issues related to the development of appropriate ultrasonic power generation technology. In ultrasonic transducers used in large-scale applications, the main points to consider are power capacity, efficiency, vibration amplitude, and volume to be processed. The transducers used for high-power ultrasound applications are those that operate in the range of 10 to 100 kHz, with power capabilities of several hundred watts to several kilowatts, and large vibration amplitudes.