Electron beam accelerators—trends in radiation processing technology for industrial and environmental applications in Latin America and the Caribbean

The radiation processing technology for industrial and environmental applications has been developed and used worldwide. In Latin America and the Caribbean and particularly in Brazil there are 24 and 16 industrial electron beam accelerators (EBA) respectively 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 1500 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 and D, wire and electric cables, heat shrinkable tubes and films, PE foams, tires, components, semiconductors and multilayer packaging films. Nowadays, the emerging opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean are paints, adhesives and coatings cure in order to eliminate VOCs and for less energy use than thermal process; disinfestations of seeds; and films and multilayer packaging irradiation. For low-energy EBA (from 150 keV to 300 keV). For mid-energy EBA (from 300 keV to 5 MeV), they are flue gas treatment (SO2 and NOX removal); composite and nanocomposite materials; biodegradable composites based on biorenewable resources; human tissue sterilization; carbon and silicon carbide fibers irradiation; irradiated grafting ion-exchange membranes for fuel cells application; electrocatalysts nanoparticles production; and natural polymers irradiation and biodegradable blends production. For high-energy EBA (from 5 MeV to 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; soil disinfestations; lignocellulosic material irradiation as a pretreatment to produce ethanol biofuel; decontamination of pesticide packing; solid residues remediation; organic compounds removal from wastewater; and 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 in South America.