Sensor-Based on PbZrO_3/PbTiO_3 with La_2O_3 for Measuring the Absorbed Dose in Disinfection of Food Products by Electron Beam in the Agricultural Industry

摘要

This paper presents a thermal detector using an inorganic crystal based on a chemical compound prepared with PbZrO_3/PbTiO_3 with 1% of La_2O_3. It has been designed for measuring the absorbed dose due the use of an electron beam applied for the disinfection of food products. The measuring arrangements for validation of the sensor were all carried out based on the use of incident doses up to 10 kGy, i.e., using several exposure times from a linear electron accelerator source with selective voltage in the range of 200 kV to 10,000 kV. For a given energy, the detector has a linear response with beam intensity and an inverse response with chopping frequency. A calibration curve which reports the relation of the absorbed dose (kGy) versus the sensor's amplified output voltage is also presented. The detector may be used over a wide range of energies either inside or outside vacuum, and it does not require an external bias field. Results have shown the usefulness of such agricultural sensor in applications related to food safety.