Needs and Emerging Opportunities of Electron Beam Accelerators on Radiation Processing Technology for Industrial and Environmental Applications in South America

The radiation processing technology for industrial and environmental applications has been developed and used worldwide. In South America there are 23 industrial electron beam accelerators (EBA) 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 1,500 high-current electron beam accelerators in commercial use throughout the world. The major needs and end-use markets for these electron beam (EB) units are R&D, wire and electric cables, heat shrinkable tubes and films, PE foams, tires and components, semiconductors and multilayer packages. Nowadays, the emerging opportunities in South America are paints, adhesives and coatings cure in order to eliminate VOC’s and for less energy use than thermal process; disinfestations of seeds; films and multilayer packages irradiation for low-energy EBA (150 keV 300 keV). For mid-energy EBA (300 keV 5 MeV), they are for 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 MeV 10 MeV), they are for 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; lignocellulosic material irradiation as pretreatment to produce ethanol biofuel; decontamination of pesticide packing; solid residues 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 in South America of mobile EB facilities for different applications.

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