Intercomparative study on low energy electron beam dosimetry

Studies of dose intercomparison and dose estimation of low energy electron beams from 150 to 300 keV have been conducted to unify and standardize the methods of dosimetry and dose estimation as an activity of Low-Energy Electron-Dose Measurement Committee which started in Japan in 1985. The transfer dosimetry with thin film dosimeters by mail was found to be useful for dose intercomparison between irradiation plants and unification of dose estimation methods. A simple dose calculation formula as a function of basic irradiation parameters, proposed for rough dose estimation, was also checked on the basis of the result of the dose intercomparison.     

Low energy electron beam treatment of VOCs

Research on electron beam decomposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air was carried out to establish an advanced treatment technology for industrial off-gases. Benzene, toluene and o-xylene were selected as aromatic VOCs and dichloro-, trichloro- and tetrachloro-ethylene as chloroethenes. The experimental results showed that G-values of decomposition ranged from 1.0–2.2 in aromatic compounds and 30–60% of decomposed compounds were converted into aerosols. On the other hand, G-values of decomposition of chloroethenes increased with the initial concentration and number of chlorine atoms in a molecule, for example, the G-value at 180 and 1580 ppm of tetrachloroethylene were 22 and 172, respectively. The formation of aerosol was not observed in the decomposition of chloroethenes. An application of low energy electron accelerator for treatment of exhaust gases containing VOCs was also discussed.     

Synthesis of polymer materials by low energy electron beam. VIII. Formation mechanism of microporous urethane-acrylamide film

The formation mechanism of microporous film which was obtained by casting a methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)/N,N-dimethlformamide (DMF) solution of an electron beam (EB)-reactive urethane-acrylamide prepolymer was discussed. The porosity and crystallinity increased with increasing DMF content in the solvent mixture. This correlation was explained by a progressive slight coagulation and nucleation of the prepolymer due to the difference in volatility between MEK and DMF. As the result, when the DMF content reached 25 vol%, micropores were formed throughout the film. Such a mechanism was supported by the localization of the acrylamide groups at the surface which was induced by the crystallization and by the interaction of amide groups with DMF. The polymerization of acrylamide groups by EB could fix the microporous morphology.     

The present status of the selfshielded low energy electron accelerator

This paper details the history and the present status of the low energy electron accelerator in Japan, introduces potential applications, and describes the construction of the equipment.     

An esca investigation of the low energy electron beam polymerisation of hexafluorobenzene

Irradiation of condensed hexafluorobenzene by low energy (2 keV) electrons is shown to result in the formation of thin films of involatile solids composed of carbon and fluorine. Cls ESCA spectra show that ₃, ₂, and type functional groups are present in the polymer produced, indicating that some rearrangement reactions have taken place.

A study of the dose rate dependence of the structure of the films has been undertaken, which indicates that under controlled conditions the films closely resemble films formed by plasma and ion beam polymerisation. Inferences are made as to the likely processes occurring in the electron beam polymerisation process.     

Preparation of inorganic materials,surface treatment,and etching in low pressure plasmas: Present status and future trends

The present status and future trends in the chemistry of nonisothermal plasmas of glow and dielectric barrier discharges are summarized. Particular attention is devoted to the surface treatment, plasma etching, and to the plasma-induced and-assisted chemical vapor deposition. Several open problems which deserve exploratory research are addressed.     

Enrichment techniques in inorganic trace analysis. Present status and future prospects

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - Preliminary enrichment is indispensable for inorganic trace analysis, to lower the detection limits, improve the precision and accuracy, and widen the scope...     

The effects of high energy electron beam irradiation on the thermal and structural properties of low density polyethylene

Radiation is currently being exploited to modify polyethylene in order to improve properties for various applications such as hip replacements. This paper thoroughly examines the effects of high energy electron beam irradiation (10 MeV) on low density polyethylene (LDPE) material. ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) testing specimens were manufactured from LDPE and subjected to a broad range of doses ranging between 25 and 400 kGy at room temperature in an air atmosphere. Extensive characterisation techniques such as modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were conducted on the non-irradiated and irradiated samples. While considering the semicrystalline nature of LDPE during the MDSC experiment, the melting temperature (T_m) and the temperature crystallinity (T_c) were calculated. This revealed that the T_m and the T_c decreased in temperature as the irradiation dose increased. The FTIR analysis was implemented to evaluate the presence of polar species such as carbonyl groups and trans-vinylene double bond groups. The IR spectra illustrated that the concentration of characteristic bands for trans-vinylene bonds increased with increasing radiation dose indicating the formation of carbonyl bond groups. Furthermore, the results demonstrated an occurrence of oxidative degradation due to the formation of carbonyl groups at 1718 cm^?1.     

Surface properties and photoactivity of TiO2 treated with electron beam

The improvement of the TiO₂-photoactivitiy by electron beam treatment (1 MeV) as a function of the absorbed radiation dose (MGy) is reported. The radiation-induced effects in the TiO₂ crystal structure, e.g. change of the Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ ratio, increase of the photoactivity, etc. were investigated. Three methods were implemented in this respect: for the change of the TiO₂ crystal structure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy were applied. The photocatalytic activity of the EB-treated TiO₂ was tested by taking the degree of methylene blue photodegradation as a measure of the achieved effect. The obtained experimental data of all testing methods showed that in TiO₂ at an absorbed dose of 0.5 MGy optimum changes in crystal structure of the catalyst occur, resulting in the highest photocatalytic efficiencies.     

Evaluation of potential induced radioactivity in medical products as a function of electron energy in electron beam sterilization

Commercial sterilization of medical devices may be performed using electron beam irradiators at various electron energies. The potential for activating components of the devices has been discussed, with current standards stating that electron energy greater than 10 MeV requires assessment of potential induced radioactivity. This paper evaluates the potential for induced activity in medical products sterilized in electron beam as a function of the electron maximum energy. Monte Carlo simulation of a surrogate medical device was used to calculate photon and neutron fields resulting from electron irradiation, which were used to calculate concentrations for several radionuclides.The experiments confirmed that 10 MeV is a conservative assumption for limiting induced radioactivity. However, under the conditions as evaluated, which is a limited total quantity of metal in the material being irradiated and absent a limited number of elements; the amount of induced activity at 12 MeV could also be considered insignificant. The comparison of the sum-of-fractions to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission exempt concentration limits is less than unity for all energies below 12.1 MeV, which suggests that there is minimal probability of significant induced activity at energies above the 10 MeV upper energy limit.     

Radiation hygienization of cattle and swine slurry with high energy electron beam

The research was carried out to assess the efficiency of radiation hygienization of cattle and swine slurry of different density using the high energy electron beam based on the inactivation rate of Salmonella ssp, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp and Ascaris suum eggs. The experiment was conducted with use of the linear electron accelerator Elektronika 10/10 in Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology in Warsaw. The inoculated slurry samples underwent hygienization with high energy electron beam of 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 kGy. Numbers of reisolated bacteria were determined according to the MPN method, using typical microbiological media. Theoretical lethal doses, D₉₀ doses and hygienization efficiency of high energy electron beam were determined. The theoretical lethal doses for all tested bacteria ranged from 3.63 to 8.84 kGy and for A. suum eggs from 4.07 to 5.83 kGy. Salmonella rods turned out to be the most sensitive and Enterococcus spp were the most resistant to electron beam hygienization. The effectiveness or radiation hygienization was lower in cattle than in swine slurry and in thick than in thin one. Also the species or even the serotype of bacteria determined the dose needed to inactivation of microorganisms.     

Decomposition and decoloration of a direct dye by electron beam radiation

The wastewaters released by textile industries to the environment contain hazardous compounds like toxic refractory dye stuff at high concentration. In this study, electron beam irradiation-induced decoloration and decomposition of C.I. Direct Black 22 aqueous solutions were investigated. The influences of absorbed doses and initial dye concentration on the percent of decoloration, COD and pH of the solutions are described. The results show that the direct dye solutions can be effectively degraded by electron beam irradiation.     

Surface analysis in the semiconductor industry: Present use and future possibilities

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) represent three surface analysis techniques heavily used in the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) industry. The maturity of these techniques is demonstrated by (a) the diversity of lab-based instruments used in research and development (R&D) as well as to support fab-related issues and (b) the fact that highly automated platforms have now been or are being introduced into the fab for process control. Some recent developments of interest in the lab R&D space include the following: (a) the introduction of Orbitrap mass spectrometers into SIMS, (b) the introduction of higher energy monochromated photon sources into standalone lab-based XPS, and (c) the introduction of commercialized vacuum–scanning probe microscopy (SPM) platforms. The possibilities this opens are demonstrated through (a) SIMS analysis of organics from photoresist materials, (b) XPS subsurface analysis, ie, beyond the sputter front during depth profiling, and (c) SPM analysis of 2D material properties sensitive to the ambient environment, to mention a few.     

Absolute cross sections for electronic excitations of cytosine by low energy electron impact

The absolute cross sections (CSs) for electronic excitations of cytosine by electron impact between 5 and 18 eV were measured by electron-energy-loss (EEL) spectroscopy of the molecule deposited at low coverage on an inert Ar substrate. The lowest EEL features found at 3.55 and 4.02 eV are ascribed to transitions from the ground state to the two lowest triplet 1?(3)A(')(π→π(?)) and 2?(3)A(')(π→π(?)) valence states of the molecule. Their energy dependent CSs exhibit essentially a common maximum at about 6 eV with a value of 1.84×10(-17)?cm(2) for the former and 4.94×10(-17)?cm(2) for the latter. In contrast, the CS for the next EEL feature at 4.65 eV, which is ascribed to the optically allowed transition to the 2?(1)A(')(π→π(?)) valence state, shows only a steep rise to about 1.04×10(-16)?cm(2) followed by a monotonous decrease with the incident electron energy. The higher EEL features at 5.39, 6.18, 6.83, and 7.55 eV are assigned to the excitations of the 3?(3,1)A(')(π→π(?)), 4?(1)A(')(π→π(?)), 5?(1)A(')(π→π(?)), and 6?(1)A(')(π→π(?)) valence states, respectively. The CSs for the 3?(3,1)A(') and 4?(1)A(') states exhibit a common enhancement at about 10 eV superimposed on a more or less a steep rise, reaching, respectively, a maximum of 1.27 and 1.79×10(-16)?cm(2), followed by a monotonous decrease. This latter enhancement and the maximum seen at about 6 eV in the lowest triplet states correspond to the core-excited electron resonances that have been found by dissociative electron attachment experiments with cytosine in the gas phase. The weak EEL feature found at 5.01 eV with a maximum CS of 3.8×10(-18)?cm(2) near its excitation threshold is attributed to transitions from the ground state to the 1?(3,1)A(")(n→π(?)) states. The monotonous rise of the EEL signal above 8 eV is attributed to the ionization of the molecule. It is partitioned into four excitation energy regions at about 8.55, 9.21, 9.83, and 11.53 eV, which correspond closely to the ionization energies of the four highest occupied molecular orbitals of cytosine. The sum of the ionization CS for these four excitation regions reaches a maximum of 8.1×10(-16)?cm(2) at the incident energy of 13 eV.     

Present status and future trends in biological and environmental reference materials in China

Summary The present status of biological and environmental reference materials (BERMs) is summarized, including the institutions involved in the preparation, certification and approval of BERMs, types, analysis, homogeneity, stability and role in analytical practice. The future perspectives on the BERMs in China are also briefly discussed.     

Research into releasing inorganic phosphate and base from 5′-dTMP irradiated by a low energy ion beam

Research into radiation damage of nucleotide is an important area in radiation biology. In this paper, the yield of inorganic phosphate and base released from 5′-dTMP irradiated by a 30 keV N⁺ ion beam was investigated in several aspects. The effect of particle fluence on yield and the influence of treatment with 0.1 N NaOH was deduced. By analysis, it is known that the alkali treatment not only increases the yield of inorganic phosphate, but also damages and splits the base released from irradiated 5′-dTMP. When the irradiated samples are treated by 0.1 N NaOH immediately, the yield of inorganic phosphate is increased by a factor of 1.7 and the concentration of base decreased to half of the original value. But the yield of inorganic phosphate could be increased by a factor of 2.8 after 40 min of alkali treatment. On the other hand, when 5prime;-dTMP was irradiated by the ion beam, the G(Pi) obtained was above 0.44, higher than with γ-radiation.