60 kW Electron Accelerator for a Paint-Curing Facility

Compared with radioactive isotopes, electron accelerators are very powerful sources of radiation. Due to the limited penetration depth of the electrons, these accelerators can only be applied for the radiation processing of surfaces or thin materials. Of special interest is the utilization of low-energy, high-power electron accelerators for the curing of paint coatings on wood, metal, and plastic surfaces. A paint-curing facility was built with a 600 keV electron accelerator with an output power of 60 kW. During the first year of continuous operation, important improvements were made in the entire process, particularly in developing suitable paint and maintaining a pure nitrogen atmosphere in the radiation chamber.