Industrial Use of Electron Beam in

the Area of Environmental Protection,

Material Modification and Food

Processing

Sylwester Bulka, Yongxia Sun, Andrzej G. Chmielewski

Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology,

Warsaw, Poland

Fossil fuels

Environmental impact

Fig.1. Scheme of EB process for SO2 and NOx

removal in the presence of NH3

Time – scaled processes and reactions.

Off-Gas emission sources

Coal fired boiler

Oil fired boiler

Diesel engine

Pollutants from Coal fired boiler off-gases

SO2 and NOx

PAHs

Dioxins

VOCs

Changdu, China

Fig.3. EPS Pomorzany - general view

Fig.4. EPS Pomorzany Plant layout

Fig.11. Control room

NPK Fertilizer

Fig.12 By-products

naphtalene acenaphtene anthracene fluoranthene

pyrene benzo(a)pyrene dibenzo(a,h) anthracene

PAH treatment

Fig. 17 Schema of possible dioxin decomposition (Hakoda T. et al.)

Fig.19. Dioxin removal by EB from waste incinerator

150 t

solid

waste

produce

40,000

m3/h flue

gas

(Hakoda T. et al.)

Self-shielded type and Curtain

beams

300 keV max. and 40 mA max.

Electron accelerator &

Irradiation vessel

Fig.20 Dioxins removal

(MUNICIPAL WASTE INCINERATION JAERI, Takasaki, Japan)

House for test

Stack

VOCs removal by EB

EB, EB + catalyst

Most are lab-based experiments, pilot

test was performed by Prof. Kim from

Konkuk Uni. , ROK.

EB/Catalyst Konkuk , ROK

Acceleration of

Electron

Irradiation of

Electron

Activation of Catalyst

& Oxidation of

by-Products

VOC Removal by

Radical Reaction

N2, O2, H2O, etc.

e-

OH , N , H , HO2 , O

radicals VOC

CO2 , O3 , By-

products

VOC Decomposition by EB

e-

Oxidation by Catalyst

radical

Surface Activation

Surface Reforming

Oxidation of by-products

& VOC

Catalyst O3

Oil fuel combustion off-gases

Electron beam flue gas treatment (EBFGT)

technology for simultaneous removal of SO2

and NOx from combustion of liquid fuels

Ahmed A. Basfar , Osama I. Fageeha , Noushad Kunnummal ,

Seraj Al-Ghamdi ,Andrzej G. Chmielewski , Janusz Licki ,

Andrzej Pawelec , Bogdan Tyminski , Zbigniew Zimek, FUEL,

2007

Fig.26. Saudi Arabia pilot plant process units

1. Ammonia addition, 2. EB-TECH mobile unit, 3. cyclone,

4. cartridge filter 5. ID fan 6. stack

Cl- 0.0012 0.0068 0.0032

NO3- 0.35 0.44 0.34

SO42- 78.19 79.24 79.63

NH4+ 21.16 20.28 20.00

Na+ 0.258 0.025 0.015

Mg2+ 0.0047 0.0045 0.0012

Ca2+ 0.027 0.014 0.012

Element Concentration, mg/kg

Arsenic <0.02 <0.02 <0.02

Cadmium <0.003 <0.003 0.023

Chromium 0.27 0.13 0.90

Cobalt 0.02 0.02 0.04

Lead 1.03 0.45 1.56

Mercury <0.03 <0.03 <0.03

Nickel 29.8 58.5 102.3

Zinc 12.9 28.4 13.6

Table 3. By-Products

Fulfilled heavy metal requirement for fertilizer

EBFGT for NOx removal from flue gas

emitted from diesel engine

Cargo ships

SO2 emission NOx emission

Fig. 33 SO2 and NOx emission from cargo ship

Summary

EB can be applied for mutilple pollutants

treatment (SOx, NOx, VOCs, PAHs and

dioxins) from flue gas.

EB + catalyst is better effective for VOC

removal than EB or catalyst.

Industrial Use of Electron

Beam in the Area

of Environmental Protection

Material modification

Food processing

Modification of biodegradable polymers for practical

applications (as Green products)

•Crosslinking to improve thermal deformation of Dummy Lens

•Crosslinking to synthesize hydrogel for Washi improvement and

Soil Conditioner

•Degradation to synthesize Plant Growth Promoter

Environmentally-friendly products

Products for environmental remediation

Production of metal adsorbents using Graft polymerization

Development of Radiation Processed

Environment-friendly Products

•Crosslinking of Poly-lactic acid with 3 wt %

Triallyl isocyanurate to (TAIC) at 20-50 kGy to

improve thermal deformation of Dummy Lens (>

60C, deformation)

Ref.: M. Tamada,

TARRI, Japan

Obtained hydrogel

1. Swell hundreds times in water without dissolving

2. Water is not released by pressure

3. Biodegradability is maintained after crosslinking

Crosslinking of Cellulose Derivatives

30-70% Carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC) at 50 kGy

dose

Development of Radiation Processed

Environment-friendly Products

•super water absorbent (SWA) (Carboxymethyl

cellulose gel) can be applied for soil conditioner in

arid area, addition 3 % dry SWA to sandy soil in

arid area, available soil water content increased 2

times

3% SWA, 31 tons/ha

0% SWA, 19 tons/ha

Ref.: M. Tamada,

TARRI, Japan

Development of Radiation Processed Environment-

friendly Products

•Decomposed marine polysaccharides such as

chitosan from crab and shrimp shells play role of the

plant growth promoter (PGP) in shoot elongation and

harvesting yield. 30-60% increase of harvesting yield

of rice, chili, potato, carrot etc. In Asian country.

Different type Electron

Accelerators in INCT

30

Industrial Use of Electron

Beam in the Area

of Environmental Protection

Material modification

Food processing

Industrial Use of Electron Beam in the

area of food processing

Purpose of food irradiation

Prevention of foodborne illness

Preservation - to destroy or inactivate organisms that

cause spoilage

Delay of sprounting and ripening of fruits and

vegetables to increase longevity

Sterilization- for hosptial patients

Ref.:U.Gryczka et al., „Application of electron beam accelerators for food

irradiation”, p.50-58, in „the industrial and Environmental application of electron

beams”, ISBN: 978-83-933935-7-2.

Facility Location

BGS Beta-Gamma-Service

GmbH & Co, KG

Bruchsal, Germany

BGS Beta-Gamma-Service

GmbH & Co, KG

Wiehl, Germany

Ionmed Esterilización SA Tarancón, Spain

Ionison SA Chaumesnil, France

Ionison SA Dagneux, France

INCT Warsaw, Poland

Electron beam facilities approved for

food irradiation in the EU

INCT food irradiation facility

Operational hall of the INCT food

irradiation facility

Accelerator Pilot 10 MeV, 1 kW Accelerator Elektronika 10MeV, 10kW

Dose used in food irradiation process

Thank you for your kind attention !

Thank you for your kind attention.

Thank you for your kind attention.