I found a paper that calculated some atomic bond energies, not of pure metals, but close enough to get an idea. http://www.wag.caltech.edu/publications/sup/pdf/208.pdf
If you look at table II, we notice for FeH+, that the bond energy is about 55 kcal/mole. There is a lot of energy if we break all the bonds in a mole of iron and H ion.
For the sake of argument: Let's say it takes 100 kcal/mol of energy to break all the bonds in a mole of solid Iron. Now, how much energy is that, and how much is a mol?
From the periodic table, a mole of Fe, or Iron, weighs 55.85 grams. Using the density of Iron, 7.874 g/cm^3, we have a volume of: 55.85/7.874 = 7.1 cm^3, or a small cube of about 2 cm on each side. (2x2x2=8cm^3, so slightly bigger then our number, but close enough)
So vaporizing or totaly obliterating such a small cube of material by violent cavitation processes, should yield a caloric heat value on the order of 100 kcal. How much energy is that? or rather how much can the temperature of water change from such energy input?
Let's assume a liter of water, and calculate the temperature difference. Water's specific heat is 1cal/g/deg C, so 100 kcal, would raise one gram of water by 100 thousand deg C (if prevented from boiling obviously but imposible at these levels of heat injection) If we talk in terms of a liter of water, (1 liter = 1000 grams) then 100 kcal would raise 1 liter of water by 100 deg C.
To put this in perspective, this can bring 1 liter of water from 0 deg C (freezing) to 100 deg C (boiling) temperature Now that is awesome! Who's going to be the first to congratulate me on this amazing breakthrough! LOL
Mystery Solved!
EM