Ultrasonic wave propagation in colloidal suspensions and emulsions: a comparison of four models

Four models that describe the propagation of ultrasound through two-phase media are compared. The models differ in the complexity of their mathematical formulations, and the applicability of any model to real colloidal systems is limited by the assumptions implicit within that derivation. Simulated comparisons of ultrasonic phase velocity and attenuation are presented for three suspensions that are physically diverse. The Allegra and Hawley model is shown to give the most thorough interpretation of acoustic propagation through a two-phase system.