Low energy electron accelerators are recognized as one of the advanced curing-means of converting processes for films and papers. In the last three years the price of the accelerator equipment has been greatly reduced. The targeted application areas are mainly processes of curing inks, coatings, adhesives to make packaging materials. The operating cost analyses were made for electron beam (EB) processes over the conventional ones without EB. Then three new proposals for cost reduction of EB processes are introduced. Also being developed are new EB chemistries such as coatings, laminating adhesives and inks. EB processes give instantaneous cure and EB chemistries are basically non solvent causing less VOC emission to the environment. These developments of both equipment and chemistries might have a potential to change conventional packaging film industries.
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