Radiation technology is based on the storage of energy in materials. It is a similar process to heating a material. When a material is irradiated with accelerated electrons or bremsstrahlung radiation, a significant amount of energy is trapped inside the material without significantly heating the material. This ionising radiation affects materials in a variety of ways depending on the type of material being irradiated. However, only electrons with high kinetic energy moving at close to the speed of light generated in electron accelerators have such properties.

The irradiated products do not give rise to secondary radioactivity (due to the energy characteristics of the beam) and are therefore completely radiation-free.

Parameters of the linear accelerator LINAC-4-1200

  • Energy Ee:

LINAC-4-1200 is a source of electrons with an energy of 3 to 5 MeV.

  • Output beam current:

Pulsed, pulse length is 3 µs, standard repeating frequency is 500 Hz, maximum accelerated current is about 90 µA depending on electron energy.

  • Energy dissipation:

Tens of keV.

  • Beam distribution:

The electron beam is spread by an electromagnet over a wide exit chamber, allowing a wide dose distribution and uniform irradiation of material up to 500 mm wide. The length of the transporter is 2730 mm.
It is also possible to irradiate large volumes of liquids in a unique flow apparatus that can be installed under the accelerator outlet chamber.

  • Dose Power:

Depending on the accelerated current values, a dose power of up to 5 kGy per pass under the accelerator exit window can be achieved.

Possibilities of use

  • Radiation chemistry – by the passage of accelerated electrons, the internal structure of the irradiated substance is excited to such an energy state that new chemical radicals can be formed, which can change the properties and composition of the substance.
  • Sterilization, pasteurization.
  • Packaging technology – radiation sterilisation.
  • Irradiation of plastic materials – radiation crosslinking, grafting, polymerisation and curing of materials.
  • Agricultural products – suitable for decontamination of some agricultural products.
  • Irradiation of wood – for protection against fungus and biological blackening.
  • Environmental applications – accelerator can be used for decontamination of infected waste from hospitals and laboratories, decontamination of wastewater.
  • Other industrial uses – irradiation of paints, textiles, in the manufacture of microelectronic components, welding and cutting of materials and many more.