Page 5 - PR 2014 2016 03 Applications of Ionizing Radiations

Applications of Ionizing Radiations | Progress Report 47

facility is 12 PBq (321.89 kCi - Jul 2014). In the mal, mechanical, and chemical properties.
near future, a new cobalt-60 irradiation source The upgrading of the EBA facilities increased
will be installed with 7.4 PBq (200 kCi). Almost the wire and electric cables processing speed
all disposable supplies used by the Radiophar- to 300m/min and the polyethylene foams to
macy Center (CR) of IPEN to produce tech- 15 m/min, becoming the product prices more
netium-99m generators and other medical competitive in the Brazilian market.
radioisotopes are continuously sterilized by
the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility. Development of an automated system
Many biomedical research laboratories and for the operation of an electron beam
centers, especially those working with equip- accelerator
ment for cell cultures and vaccine production,
also make use of the gamma sterilization. Electron beam accelerators are sophisticated
Animal feed and shavings used by certified equipment used in many applications, such
bioteries are routinely disinfected. Alterna- as basic physical research, chemistry, medi-
tive underwater irradiation methods were cine, molecular biology, microelectronics, ag-
developed to meet the demand of gemstone riculture and industry, among others. All the
color enhancement using gamma radiation. electron beam accelerators have an electron
Human tissues including bone, skin, amniotic source, a vacuum acceleration chamber and a
membranes, tendons, and cartilage belonging device to extract and distribute the electrons
to National Banks tissues are routinely irradi- over the product surface. The majority of the
ated. In particular, disinfestations and disin- accelerators have electrons from a hot tung-
fection processes applied on cultural heritage sten filament and their energy is increased
objects (books, wood, paintings, furniture, as it passes through an electric field in the
etc.) using gamma radiation were intensified vacuum chamber. For industrial purposes,
over the last years. Almost 20.000 cultural the most common model is Dynamitrons®.
heritage objects have been disinfected by At IPEN-CNEN/SP, there is an electron beam
the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility. accelerator Dynamitron® Type (Manufac-
tured by RDI- Radiation Dynamics Inc., 1978)
Additional applications developed by these model DC1500/25/4. The technology applied
facilities are related to treatment of industrial was available in the 60´s and 70´s, but, now-
and domestic effluents, sludge and hospi- adays is obsolete. Moreover, there are not
tal waste; paints, varnishes, adhesives and original spare parts for this equipment any
coating curing; polymer grafting and mod- longer. The aim of this work was to develop
ification; radiation processing of composite a nationalized automated operation system
materials and natural polymers. Only in 2016, for the accelerator to replace the old equip-
3
more than 1000 m of medical, pharmaceuti- ment. The project started with an economic
cal, and biological products were sterilized by and technical feasibility study and industrial
the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility. dosimetry study. The safety standards from
Between 2014 and 2016, around 8063 km of the IAEA and CNEN were used to guide the
wire and electric cables for chemical; automo- project. Several studies and major develop-
bile, aircraft and electro-electronic companies ment have been conducted, including print-
were processed by the EBA facilities. Radiation ed circuit boards construction, mechanical
processing promotes crosslinking among the solutions, CLP automation, software for the
polymeric chains, increasing electrical, ther- automation and process parameters. In this