ELECTRON BEAM IRRADIATION APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electron beam irradiation apparatus for curing a cable with a core of optical fiber, electric wire or the like which is coated with resin by electron beam irradiation. SOLUTION: A reverse magnetron plasma electron gun 2, actuating at low vacuum, is used as a cylindrical electron gun, and differential vacuum mechanisms 6, 7 are provided, thereby evacuating an electron beam generating part and making an electron beam irradiating part B a vacuum level or low- vacuum atmosphere. With this system, a long, linear sample like optical fiber 1 is guided to the electron beam irradiating part in the vacuum from the atmosphere, to perform electron beam irradiation, and the sample is then discharged into the atmosphere. The energy and intensity of the irradiated electron beam are not limited, because no thin partition wall between the atmosphere and the vacuum is present in the path through which the electron beam passes, and the throughput of resin curing is greatly improved, as compared with the conventional electron beam irradiation system using a partition wall. The electric charge carried on an insulating material as the object is neutralized, by arranging a PIG ion source in the electron beam irradiating part, whereby the electron beam curing can be performed with proper efficiency.