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TECHNOLOGICAL USE OF ROTATION

Statement by the Minister for National Development, Senator the Hon, WÃ¢ÂÂHÃ¢ÂÂ Spooner, .  '

Representatives of overseas scientific and industrial  organisations are coming to Australia for the conference on the  Technological Use of Radiation,  to be held in Sydney this month.

It will be the first conference to be held in Australia on this  subject.

The total attendance would be about 100, the Minister for

National Development,  Senator Spooner,  said to-dayÂ» The visitors  would come from Great Britain, the United States, New Zealand, and  the International atomic Energy agency. The conference was being  organised by the Atomic Energy Commission, from May 23 to May 25.

The participants would include members of the staff of the  Commission, the C,S.I.R.O,, and similar bodies, also university and  industrial representatives. Australian industry was becoming keenly  interested in' the wide possibilities of applying radiation to

industrial processes. Ã¢ÂÂ

A representative of the Westminster Carpet Company would  describe to the conference the company’s large irradiation plant  near MelbourneÂ» This plant was used to sterilise carpet materials,  but it was also capable of many other applications.Â·  For example,  radiation appeared to be a particularly promising method for the

large-scale sterilisation of pharmaceutical products.

Other uses which would be discussed included food preservation,  the promotion of chemical reactions, improvements in the qualities  of materials such as plastics and rubber, pest control and plant

breeding, Some of these subjects would be investigated at Lucas Heights,

and the conference would be told about the equipment and facilities  available there. Other papers would describe the work being carried  out in other Australian research organisations.

This conference was interested both in long-term goals and in  applications of immediate practical value, Senator Spooner said.

He was sure all concerned would benefit from the enlargement of  their knowledge and exchange of views.

CANBEB3Â« 15 May, I960Â·

