Page 49 - 00. Complete Version - Progress Report IPEN 2014-2016

Application of Ionizing Radiations | Progress Report 49

equipment for cell cultures and vaccine pro- companies were processed by the EBA facili-
duction, also make use of the gamma steril- ties. Radiation processing promotes crosslink-
ization. Animal feed and shavings used by ing among the polymeric chains, increasing
certified bioteries are routinely disinfected. electrical, thermal, mechanical, and chemi-
Alternative underwater irradiation methods cal properties. The upgrading of the EBA fa-
were developed to meet the demand of gem- cilities increased the wire and electric cables
stone color enhancement using gamma ra- processing speed to 300m/min and the poly-
diation. Human tissues including bone, skin, ethylene foams to 15 m/min, becoming the
amniotic membranes, tendons, and carti- product prices more competitive in the Bra-
lage belonging to National Banks tissues are zilian market.
routinely irradiated. In particular, disinfesta-
tions and disinfection processes applied on Development of an automated system
cultural heritage objects (books, wood, paint- for the operation of an electron beam
ings, furniture, etc.) using gamma radiation accelerator
were intensified over the last years. Almost
20.000 cultural heritage objects have been Electron beam accelerators are sophisticated
disinfected by the Multipurpose Gamma Ir- equipment used in many applications, such
as basic physical research, chemistry, medi-
cine, molecular biology, microelectronics, ag-
riculture and industry, among others. All the
electron beam accelerators have an electron
source, a vacuum acceleration chamber and
a device to extract and distribute the elec-
trons over the product surface. The majori-
ty of the accelerators have electrons from a
hot tungsten filament and their energy is in-
creased as it passes through an electric field
Figure 2. Figure 3.
Gammacell Facility Panoramic Irradiator Facility in the vacuum chamber. For industrial pur-
poses, the most common model is Dynami-
radiation Facility. trons®. At IPEN-CNEN/SP, there is an electron
beam accelerator Dynamitron® Type (Man-
Additional applications developed by these ufactured by RDI- Radiation Dynamics Inc.,
facilities are related to treatment of indus- 1978) model DC1500/25/4. The technology
trial and domestic effluents, sludge and hos- applied was available in the 60´s and 70´s,
pital waste; paints, varnishes, adhesives and but, nowadays is obsolete. Moreover, there
coating curing; polymer grafting and modifi- are not original spare parts for this equip-
cation; radiation processing of composite ma- ment any longer. The aim of this work was
terials and natural polymers. Only in 2016, to develop a nationalized automated opera-
more than 1000 m3 of medical, pharmaceu- tion system for the accelerator to replace the
tical, and biological products were sterilized old equipment. The project started with an
by the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Fa- economic and technical feasibility study and
cility. Between 2014 and 2016, around 8063 industrial dosimetry study. The safety stan-
km of wire and electric cables for chemical; dards from the IAEA and CNEN were used to
automobile, aircraft and electro-electronic guide the project. Several studies and major