ATOMS IN INDUSTRY

Materials Improved by Radiation

Radiation processing of polymers allows mass production of high quality goods: it is cost-effective, fast, precise and much cleaner than other conventional
methods. This technology benefits various industries and ultimately millions of consumers.
Radiation processing is the large-scale use of ionizing radiation which has enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from the orbit of an atom, creating reactive species which further react and
improve the quality of the material. The energy involved is not enough for nuclear activation, therefore the products do not become radioactive.

Radiation technologies improve many products we use every day – from the planes we fly to the food we eat

Radiation technologies are used to This technology is applied in around 90% of Radiation cross-linking makes wire and cable products These materials are used in many industries where improved Radiation cross-linked shrink wraps prolong the
form cross-links between polymer materials used to build cars, airplanes and stronger and more resistant to chemicals and fire, ensuring resistance, optimum insulation, prolonged survival and high freshness of food, for example.
chains (radiation cross-linking). computers worldwide. better safety. performance under harsh environmental conditions is crucial.

Health and agriculture are just some of the many industries benefiting from radiation technologies
Cross-linked polymers reduce the healing time of wounds Radiation processing of natural polymers improves plant growth
Hydrogels are cross-linked polymers which are widely used in medicine. They Cassava starch from edible root-cassava is a biodegradable material that is redesigned with Radiation technologies are used to cut chains in natural polymers such as
absorb large amounts of water and when prepared by irradiation they get radiation and used to make super water absorbents which then release their water slowly. seaweed, sago, cassava starch and palm oil. Plants treated with such products
cross-linked as well as are made sterile. These polymers can accelerate wound The IAEA supports the adoption, manufacture and use of many non-toxic biodegradable grow faster and larger. Many countries are using these materials to improve their
healing. They are also used as beauty masks in the cosmetic industry. polymers derived from plants and animals. agriculture and to bring new products to the market.

15-21071
ATOMS IN INDUSTRY

Radiation Technologies for Measurement

Radiotracers, nucleonic control systems and non-destructive testing are non-invasive technologies for measuring physical parameters
in industrial production and environmental processes.
Radiation technologies are widely used in many industries because of their unique advantages such as high sensitivity, selectivity and accuracy. They can operate without actual physical contact with the
analyzed material itself. These technologies work in extreme conditions where other methods cannot be used.

Radiotracers in industry and the environment Nucleonic control systems

Radiotracers help to trace pathways of unseen phenomena in nature, for example pollutants in water. Nucleonic control systems (NCS) or nucleonic gauges are widely used by industry to improve
These technologies benefit industries and help identify the negative impacts of human activities. product and process quality, and save energy.

Protecting people process, system, sample, etc.

Optimizing industrial
from accidental Studying soil erosion and
processes leading solid,
release of pollutants sedimentation in reservoirs
to cleaner production liquid,
from transportation and optimizing their gas,
management X, Ȗ, ȕ, Į, n radiations etc. detector(s)
electronic chain

Studying pathways of
computer and user software
oil, water and pollutants with control command
underground Studying the
behaviour of
pollutants from
outfalls
Measurement and analysis with NCS are NCS are used in industry to measure NCS function in unique places, such as
Managing
based on the interaction between ionizing and control process parameters such as measuring the vertical profile of mud
dredging
radiation and matter. thickness, density, level and composition. deposits in dams, harbour basins and
Studying sediment transport works
navigation fairways.
in rivers, estuaries, coastal
areas and harbours to
protect coastlines

Non-destructive testing (NDT): safety and quality first

How can you find out what is wrong inside an object without ripping it apart or destroying it? By using non-destructive testing.

NDT is a non-invasive technique that assesses the structural There are two different radiation sources available for There are several NDT technologies, such as NDT is an essential quality-control technique that Many industries benefit from NDT
integrity of a material, component or structure without destroying industrial use: X-ray and Gamma-ray. radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing, visual can save money, time and human lives. technologies, from transportation
its shape, size, chemical or physical properties. testing and electromagnetic testing. to oil and gas-exploration and civil
engineering structures.

15-21071
ATOMS IN INDUSTRY

Solutions for Pollution

Radiation technologies are being deployed to treat and neutralize persistent industrial pollutants.

A breath of fresh air A drop of clean water

Each day the world burns over 6 billion metric tons of The wastewater from textile dyeing is highly contaminated with various chemicals, harmful to human health and the environment. In fact, 20% of
coal, one of the most abundant fossil fuels. This emits global industrial water pollution comes from treatments in the textile dye industry.
pollutants like SO2 and NOX that get transformed into
sulphuric and nitric acids in the atmosphere, causing Wastewater from this industry can Effective technologies are needed to
environmental and economic losses. To colour textile, compounds with large, long and complex chains are added. contain more than 70 complex chemicals treat such pollutants before they are
which cannot be degraded easily. discharged into the environment.

Photo: UN photos/Flickr

Industry is searching for new ways to use coal more efficiently and
reduce emissions. The IAEA helps Member States to convert fossil By collecting effluent and irradiating it with electron beams, scientists can fragment The IAEA-assisted facility at the Daegu Dye Industry Complex in South Korea
fuel emissions – also called flue gas – into high quality agricultural complex structures into smaller molecules which then can be treated and removed with successfully demonstrated this application with a treatment capacity of
fertilizers with radiation technologies. normal biological processes. 10 000 m3 wastewater per day.

air preheater
GGH
Cleaning
g polluted dye wastewater
air
dry ESP
electron beam
boiler

flue
gas

by product
collector
stack
spray
cooler
polluted radiation biodegradation advanced
fertilizer water byproduct process system

NH3 process vessel less radicals

more easily mineralization harmless
biodegradable biodegradable of toxic effluent
toxic byproduct compound water
compound
Scheme of the electron beam flue gas treatment (not to scale)

Electron beam treatment simultaneously removes SO2 and NOX in a

single step process with no waste generation.

A demonstration facility which uses electron beam technology has Thanks to effective and reliable electron beam technology, stopping chemical dye waste from polluting rivers and
been built with IAEA’s support in Poland that efficiently removes 95% waterways can be much easier in the future.
of SO2 and 70% of NOX from flue gas to meet European Union limits. Photo: B. Kucinski/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

15-21071
 ATOMS IN INDUSTRY

Radiation Technologies Improve Health Care

Radiation can kill disease-causing germs and neutralize other harmful organisms.
Radiation technologies are commonly used to sanitize (clean or sterilize) equipment, thereby improving health care and ensuring the safety of patients.

Blood and implants are treated with radiation

Photo: dxiri/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Irradiation of blood is a proven safe method to inhibit Preserved human connective tissue grafts such as bones and Sterilization with ionizing radiation inactivates Tissues to be implanted are sterilized with radiation to avoid
T-Lymphocyte proliferation and eliminate the risk of post- skin are indispensable in medical healthcare today. Tissue banks microorganisms very efficiently and allows sterilization in a transmission of viral infections such as HIV, hepatitis C and B
transfusion disease. This is possible because T-Lymphocytes are provide safe and effective allografts for their transplantation. product’s final wrapping. viruses and bacterial infections.
more radiosensitive than other blood components.

Life-saving equipment sterilized with radiation Effective vaccines through radiation

Radiation is a safe and cost-effective method for sterilizing single-use medical devices such as syringes and surgical gloves. A key advantage is that radiation allows Vaccines made with bacteria killed by gamma radiation are more effective than
already-packaged products to be sterilized. IAEA assists Member States to set up radiation facilities and provides guidelines for such applications. those made using standard heat or chemical methods, as this allows them to
retain their immunological properties better.

Photo: Pete Lewis /UK Department for International Development/Flickr/CC BY 2.0 Photo: NIAID/Flickr/CC BY 2.0 Photo: NIH/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

More than 40% of all single-use medical devices produced More than 160 gamma irradiation plants around the Around 12 million m3 of medical devices are sterilized by This opens the possibility of more efficient and safer vaccines in the future.
worldwide are sterilized with gamma irradiation. world are operating to sterilize medical devices. radiation annually.

15-21071