International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Research Applications and Utilization of Accelerators
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SM/EB-02 Needs and Emerging Opportunities of Electron Beam Accelerators on Radiation Processing Technology for Industrial and Environmental Applications in South America W.A.P. Calvo, L.D.B. Machado, C.L. Duarte, D.C.R. Poli, J.E. Manzoli, E.S.R. Somessari, C.G. Silveira, N.M. Omi, and P.R. Rela Institute for Nuclear and Energy Research, Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission, Radiation Technology Centre, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Sao Paulo, Brazil Corresponding Author: wapcalvo@ipen.br The radiation processing technology for industrial and environmental applications has been developed and used worldwide. In South America there are 17 industrial electron beam accelerators with energy from 200 keV to 10 MeV, operating in private companies and governmental institutions to enhance the physical and chemical properties of materials. However, there are more than 1400 high-current electron beam accelerators in commercial use throughout the world. The major end-use markets for these EB units are R&D, wire and electric cables, heat shrinkable tubes and films, foams, tires and components, semiconductors and multilayer packages. In addition, the Brazilian Technical Association for Radiation Curing was foundered in 1993. The knowledge on EB technology has been sharing with the associated industries and partners in Brazil, since that time. In 2006, an agreement with RadTech International North America and this Brazilian association promotes the RadTech South America, which has its headquarter in IPEN–CNEN/SP. Nowadays, the emerging opportunities in South America are paints, adhesives and coatings cure; disinfestations of seeds; films and multilayer packages irradiation for low-energy EBA (150 - 300 keV). For mid-energy EBA (300 keV–5 MeV), they are flue gas treatment (SO2 and NOx removal); composite materials and carbon fibers irradiation; irradiated grafting ion-exchange membranes for fuel cells application; natural polymers irradiation and biodegradable blends production. For high-energy EBA (5 - 10 MeV), they are sterilization of medical, pharmaceutical and biological products; gemstone enhancement; treatment of industrial and domestic effluents and sludge; preservation and disinfestations of foods and agricultural products; sugarcane bagasse irradiation as pretreatment to produce ethanol biofuel; decontamination of pesticide packing; soil remediation; organic compounds removal from wastewater; treatment of effluent from petroleum production units and liquid irradiation process to treat vessel water ballast. On the other hand, there is a growing need of mobile EB facilities for different applications, as well as, an emerging opportunity of using low-energy electron beam accelerators for the curing of inks, coatings and adhesives in order to eliminate VOC’s, and for less energy use than thermal process in South America.
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