Utilization of electron beam accelerators for polymer processing

During the last decade, electron beam processing has been amply demonstrated to the Indian cable industry by BARC using 2 MeV/20 kW electron beam (EB) accelerator (ILU-6 EBA facility) located at BARC-BRIT complex, Vashi. The electron beam accelerator is a machine producing high energy electrons which are made to impinge on the materials for inducing physical, chemical and biological modifications. The process is carried out at room temperature and in ambient atmospheric conditions. Lately, quite a few numbers of accelerators have been installed by the private cable industry and carrying out cross-linking of cable insulations for high performance viz. high temperature stability, good flame retardancy, lesser solvent-swelling, thinner insulations etc. The indigenously made accelerators at EB centre, particularly the 3 MeV/30 kW accelerator will be of much help for Indian industry for polymer processing as the market is poised to grow by adapting the technology