High energy electron irradiation of flowable materials

Claim 1

Apparatus for irradiating a flowable material with high energy electrons, comprising, in combination: a container for holding a quantity of such material; a funnel-shaped hollow body disposed in said container with the small diameter opening of said body directed downwardly and the upper extremity of said body at a lower elevation than the top of said container; outlet conduit means connected to the small diameter opening of said body for receiving material from the region enclosed by said body, said conduit passing through the bottom of said container in a liquid-tight manner; inlet conduit means connecting the interior of said container with a source of material to be irradiated; material delivery means connected in said inlet conduit means for delivering such material to the interior of said container at a predetermined rate selected for causing material filling said container to overflow the upper extremity of said body and to flow down the inner wall surface of said body as a continuous, uniform stream; and irradiation means disposed for irradiating such material with high energy electrons as the material flows down said inner wall surface of said body.