Depth-dose profiles in continuous and discontinuous materials of food products and medical devices irradiated by 10 MeV electron beam

Depth-dose profiles of electron radiation in continuous and discontinuous materials of water, plastic and food-like dummy irradiated by 10 MeV electron beam have been evaluated based on Monte Carlo simulations and measurements. In the discontinuous mediums, material layers were separated by air gaps. The discrepancy of the absorbed doses in the continuous and discontinuous materials is within 12%. No significant effect of the discontinuity on the main characteristics such as practical range and double-sided optimal thickness was found. The results indicated that the double-sided optimal thicknesses of the materials can be increased to greater than the reference values of 8.5–8.8 g/cm $$^2$$ to improve the efficiency of the irradiation process.