An ultrasound reactor (30) having a reactor body (1), a reactor tube (9)
disposed within the reactor body and a magnetostrictor transducer (11)
comprising at least one annular element (28a-d) concentric with, and
mounted to an external wall of said tube and a process for ultrasonic
treatment of a reaction material are disclosed. The transducer is mounted
on the reactor tube in such a way so as to transmit ultrasound radiation
to the interior of the tube and to induce an upwardly flowing cavitation
stream whose longitudinal axis substantially coincides with a
longitudinal axis of said tube, causing physical changes to the reaction
material.