Cavitation in gas-supersaturated solutions

Water equilibrated with gas at high pressures and contained in glass tubes (0.01-0.25-cm inside diameter) was able to sustain very high supersaturations without any occurrence of gas bubbles on decompression to atmospheric pressure. Interference from cavitation nuclear was minimized by their dissolution under pressure prior to saturation of the water. The maximum supersaturation tensions without cavitation, which represent the lowest possible limit of spontaneous bubble formation, were 140 atm for O₂ and Ar, 190 atm for N₂, and 300 atm for He. Massive cavitation occurred at 20-30 atm higher supersaturations. The onset of cavitation was slightly affected by large changes in the surface tension and in the solubilities of the gases in the liquids (by addition of ethanol) and was only significantly affected by temperature over a narrow range at about 1 °C. The bubbles arose primarily or exclusively at the water-glass interface. The data indicate that their formation was spontaneous rather than a result of preexisting nuclei.