JP2001281400A - Electron beam irradiation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electron beam irradiation device capable of efficiently and continuously performing the hardening and cross-linking treatment of an object to be irradiated such as a three-dimensional matter or the like, particularly, the surface of a linear or bar-like long matter. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a substantially cylindrical electron beam generation part for generating and accelerating electron beams, a high voltage generation part for accelerating the electrons of the electron beam generation part, and a substantially cylindrical irradiation chamber having an irradiation space for emitting the electron beams to the object to be irradiated. The irradiation chamber is concentrically arranged in the center of the electron beam generation part so that their cylindrical axes are conformed to each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a non-scanning electron beam irradiator having a relatively small accelerating voltage, and more particularly to an electron beam irradiator most suitable for curing and crosslinking a radiation curable resin coated on the surface of an electric wire or the like. About improvement of

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a device as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is used as a self-shielding type electron beam irradiation device having an acceleration voltage of 500 KV or less. FIG. 4 shows a conveyor type electron beam irradiation apparatus, in which an object to be irradiated is placed on a tray of a transfer apparatus and processed by electron beam irradiation. FIG. 5 shows a web-type electron beam irradiation device, in which a sheet-shaped object to be irradiated is continuously conveyed by a conveying device and processed by electron beam irradiation.

In each of the figures, reference numerals 21 and 31 denote electron beam generators, each of which comprises a terminal for holding a tungsten filament and an accelerating tube for accelerating an electron beam generated in the terminal in a vacuum space. Reference numerals 22 and 32 denote high voltage generators for supplying a high voltage to the accelerating tube. Reference numerals 23 and 33 denote irradiation chambers having irradiation spaces for irradiating the irradiation object with electron beams, which are formed as air or a gas atmosphere such as nitrogen. Have been. 2
Reference numerals 4 and 34 denote irradiation windows, each of which includes a window foil made of a metal foil such as a titanium foil and a window foil structure for cooling and supporting the window foil. The window foil separates a vacuum atmosphere in the accelerating tube from a gas atmosphere in the irradiation chamber, and extracts an electron beam into the irradiation chamber through the window foil.

Around the electron beam generating section, the high voltage generating section and the irradiation chamber, a lead shield is provided so that X-rays generated during electron beam irradiation do not leak outside. Reference numeral 25 denotes a transport device such as a conveyor, which is a three-dimensional object 26 on a tray.
Is placed and transported in the irradiation room, where the electron beam is irradiated in the irradiation space to perform processing. Reference numeral 35 denotes a transfer device including a transfer roll or the like, which transfers a continuous sheet-like object to be irradiated 36 into the irradiation chamber via a roll or the like, and performs processing by being irradiated with an electron beam in an irradiation space. The irradiation chamber is provided at one end with a carry-in port and at the other end with a carry-out port for processing the object to be irradiated continuously or intermittently.

[0005]

The low-energy electron beam generated by an electron beam irradiator having an accelerating voltage of 500 KV or less has a small penetrating power, so that only the irradiated surface of the irradiated object can be cured and cross-linked. . For this reason, in this type of electron beam irradiation apparatus, when an object to be irradiated passes in the irradiation space in the irradiation room, the back side of the irradiation surface is not irradiated with the electron beam, and a process such as curing is not performed. There is. Therefore, it is necessary to pass through the irradiation space again in order to perform processing of the irradiation target, and the irradiation target is inverted. In addition, two electron beam irradiators are arranged, and the object to be irradiated is irradiated from both sides to perform treatments such as curing and crosslinking.

However, the above-mentioned electron beam irradiating apparatus requires a device and equipment for inverting the irradiating object in order to cure and crosslink the entire surface of the irradiating object. There is a disadvantage. Further, it is necessary to arrange two or more electron beam irradiation devices, and the equipment becomes large-sized, and there is a disadvantage that the installation space and cost are greatly increased. Furthermore, it is difficult to cure and cross-link a radiation-curable resin coated on the surface of a long object to be irradiated with a wire such as an electric wire or an optical fiber by any of the methods.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and constitutes an electron beam irradiation apparatus integrally with an electron beam generation section and an irradiation chamber which also serves as a transfer section for an object to be irradiated, and irradiates the generated electron beam. By arranging a plurality of irradiation windows at a predetermined interval to be taken out into a room, it is possible to efficiently and continuously cure and cross-link the surface of an object to be irradiated such as a three-dimensional object, particularly a linear or rod-shaped long object. It is an object to provide a line irradiation device.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the present invention comprises a substantially cylindrical electron beam generating section for generating and accelerating an electron beam, and an electron beam of the electron beam generating section. A high-voltage generator for accelerating the irradiation, and a substantially cylindrical irradiation chamber having an irradiation space for irradiating the irradiation object with an electron beam, and the irradiation chamber is provided at a central portion of the electron beam generator. It is characterized by being arranged on concentric circles so that the axes coincide.
Further, a plurality of irradiation windows for taking out an electron beam generated from an electron beam source into the atmosphere are provided at a central portion of the cylindrical electron beam generation unit, and the irradiation window is provided on a cross-sectional circumference of the electron beam generation unit. They have a predetermined angle and are arranged so as to be shifted from each other so that the irradiation windows do not face each other. Furthermore, three irradiation windows are formed at equal intervals of approximately 120 degrees in the center of the cylindrical electron beam generation unit, and a plurality of irradiation windows are formed on the electron beam generation unit in opposition to the plurality of irradiation windows. An electron beam source is arranged, a continuous three-dimensional object is transported into the cylindrical irradiation chamber, and the entire circumference of the three-dimensional object is irradiated by electron beams extracted from a plurality of irradiation windows. Furthermore, a liquid or a gas is continuously circulated in the cylindrical irradiation chamber, and the liquid or the gas is irradiated by an electron beam taken out from the plurality of irradiation windows.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an electron beam generating unit which is a main part of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the same main part, and FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the same main part. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a substantially cylindrical electron beam generating unit.
Are housed in concentric circles so that their tube axes coincide, and a tungsten filament 13 as an electron beam source is supported in the terminal via a gun structure. A grid (not shown) for controlling thermoelectrons is provided in openings corresponding to a plurality of irradiation windows described later on the outer periphery of the terminal. Further, the irradiation chamber 2 having a substantially cylindrical shape is accommodated in the accelerating tube 11 and the terminal 12 of the electron beam generating unit 1 so as to be arranged concentrically so that their respective tube axes coincide with each other. 1 and the irradiation chamber 2 have a triple tube structure. Note that the irradiation chamber has an irradiation space for irradiating the irradiation object with an electron beam, and also serves as a transport path of the irradiation object.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an introduction part of a high voltage generator for supplying a high voltage for accelerating electrons generated at the terminal 12. Further, the electron beam generating section, the high voltage generating section, and the irradiation chamber are provided with a lead shield so that X-rays generated during electron beam irradiation do not leak to the outside of the apparatus.

A plurality of irradiation windows 15 are arranged on the outer surface of a cylindrical body (irradiation chamber itself) corresponding to the irradiation space 2a of the irradiation chamber 2, and are mounted at positions corresponding to the opening grid of the acceleration tube 11. ing. The irradiation window 15 is supported by a titanium foil via a rectangular window frame structure, and separates a vacuum atmosphere in the acceleration tube from a gas atmosphere in the irradiation chamber. To take out. Although three irradiation windows 15 are arranged on the outer surface of the cylindrical body, each irradiation window has a predetermined angle on the outer circumference where the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical body is circular, for example, has an angle of 120 degrees with each other. Three (separated) irradiation windows are arranged so as not to be opposed to each other. With this arrangement, it is possible to irradiate the entire circumference (360 degrees) of the linear irradiation object passing through the irradiation chamber and the conveyance path with the electron beam.

The irradiation chamber 2 also serves as a transfer path for the object to be irradiated, and is provided with a carry-in port 16 for the object to be irradiated at one end and a carry-out port 17 at the other end for continuous or intermittent processing. ing. Then, when the irradiation object carried into the irradiation room passes through the irradiation space 2a of the irradiation window 15, a low-energy electron beam is irradiated from all directions. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the irradiation object is subjected to a treatment such as curing or crosslinking by one irradiation.

Here, the design dimensions of the electron beam generator and the irradiation chamber of one embodiment shown in the drawings will be described. The accelerating tube 11 has a total length of 800 mm and an outer diameter of 580 mm.
2 has a total length of 450 mm and an outer diameter of 380 mm.
Has a total length of 850 mm and an outer diameter of 60 mm. Further, a rectangular irradiation window 15 having a length of 10 mm and a width of 200 mm is attached to the center of the irradiation chamber. The electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the present embodiment has an acceleration voltage of 180 KV, a beam current of 50 mA,
It consists of design specifications such as 0,000 KGy × m / min.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where three irradiation windows are attached to the cylindrical body of the irradiation chamber at an interval of about 120 degrees has been described. However, for example, four or more attachment windows may be attached at a predetermined angle so as not to face each other. Good. In addition, even in the case of two directions, there is a possibility that the entire periphery can be irradiated depending on the shape and size of the irradiation object.

The electron beam irradiating apparatus according to the present invention is most suitable for curing or cross-linking the outer surface coating of a small wire or rod-shaped electric wire or optical fiber, but is also used for reforming or modifying liquid or gas. It is possible. In this case, it is necessary to devise a waterproof or airtight structure in order to distribute the liquid or the like through the irradiation chamber and the transport path. In any case, the irradiation target can irradiate a three-dimensional object, a liquid, a gas, or the like with a diameter of 50 mm or less with an electron beam.

[0016]

As described above, the electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the present invention has a triple tube structure of the electron beam generating section and the irradiation chamber / transport path so that the electron beam can be irradiated all around the object to be irradiated. By arranging a plurality of irradiation windows, it is possible to process all of the outer peripheral surface of the irradiation object that is continuously or intermittently conveyed. This has the advantage that the surface of the object to be irradiated can be cured or cross-linked efficiently and economically. In particular, as an electron beam irradiation device for electric wires, there are advantages such as compactness, high efficiency and high economic efficiency, and the utility value thereof is extremely large.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of an embodiment of an electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a main part of the same.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the main part.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part showing a conventional electron beam irradiation apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part showing another conventional electron beam irradiation apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electron beam generation part 2 Irradiation room 2a Irradiation space 3 High voltage generation part 11 Accelerator tube 12 Terminal 13 Electron beam source 15 Irradiation window 16 Carry-in port 17 Transfer port

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Claims (6)

[Claims] An electron beam generating section for generating and accelerating an electron beam, a high voltage generating section for accelerating electrons of the electron beam generating section, and an irradiation space for irradiating an object with an electron beam. An electron beam irradiating apparatus, comprising: a substantially cylindrical irradiation chamber having the irradiation chamber, wherein the irradiation chamber is arranged concentrically at the center of the electron beam generating section such that the cylindrical tube axis thereof coincides. 2. A plurality of irradiation windows for taking out an electron beam generated from an electron beam source into the atmosphere at a central portion of the cylindrical electron beam generation unit, and the irradiation window is formed in a circular cross section of the electron beam generation unit. 2. The electron beam irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electron beam irradiation apparatus has a predetermined angle on the circumference and is shifted from each other so that the irradiation windows do not face each other. 3. A central part of the cylindrical electron beam generating part having approximately 12
3. The electron beam irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein three irradiation windows are formed at equal intervals of 0 degrees. 4. An electron beam irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of electron beam sources are arranged in said electron beam generating section so as to face said plurality of irradiation windows. 5. A continuous three-dimensional object is transported into the cylindrical irradiation chamber, and the entire circumference of the three-dimensional object is irradiated by electron beams taken out from the plurality of irradiation windows. An electron beam irradiation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. A liquid or a gas is continuously circulated in the cylindrical irradiation chamber, and the liquid or the gas is irradiated by an electron beam taken out from the plurality of irradiation windows. An electron beam irradiation apparatus according to claim 4.