Patent Number: 051947404
Section: claims

1. An irradiation device having at least one high-power radiator with a discharge chamber filled with filling gas, the filling gas emitting radiation under the influence of quiet electrical discharges, the discharge chamber being bounded by walls of which at least one wall consists of dielectric material and is transparent to the radiation generated in the discharge chamber, a treatment chamber immediately adjoining one wall of the discharge chamber, having an electrode pair outside the discharge chamber, and having an ac source, connected to the two electrodes, for feeding the discharge, the coupling of the electrical energy into the discharge chamber being performed essentially capacitively by the substance to be treated in the treatment chamber, wherein the treatment chamber is sealed on all sides by walls made from non-metallic material or from material coated completely with non-metallic material. 2. The irradiation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filling gas is mercury, nitrogen, selenium, deuterium or a mixture of said substances alone or with a noble gas. 3. The irradiation device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gas contains admixtures of sulfur, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, iodine or mercury. 4. The irradiation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an internal tube made from dielectric material is provided on its inside with a first electrode, the internal tube is surrounded concentrically by a middle tube made from dielectric material and at a distance from the internal tube, and the middle tube is surrounded concentrically, for its part, by an external tube made from non-metallic material and at a distance from the middle tube, which external tube is provided outside with a second electrode. 5. The irradiation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the two ends of the external tube are held gastight in a sealing washer, which sealing washer is pushed gastight onto the middle tube. 6. The irradiation device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the two ends of the external tube are drawn inwards and connected gastight to the middle tube, both the internal tube, the middle tube and the external tube consisting of quartz. 7. The irradiation device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the internal tube and/or the external tube consist of metal, it being the case that a layer made from dielectric material is completely provided for the internal tube on the side facing the discharge chamber and for the external tube on the side facing the treatment chamber. 8. The irradiation device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ends of the middle tube are drawn inwards and are connected gastight to the internal tube.