Moist-heat sterilization kinetics

The kinetics of dry-heat treatments is comparable to that of moist heat sterilization. The organisms that are considered to be representatives for dry-heat sterilization processes are spores of Bacillus subtilis var. nigerP ... 

As with sterilization by saturated steam, thermal damage to biological systems as a result of dry heat sterilization processes is a function of absorbtion of heat energy. Inactivation of microorganisms is by oxidation. The kinetics of oxidation and population death approximate to first-order reactions, but they are significantly different from the processes of coagulation of cellular proteins found with moist heat sterilization in that they require far higher temperatures and proceed more slowly. 

Among the techniques discussed, moist heat is the most economical and efficient for the general sterilization requirements of fermentation. Therefore, the following four sections describe cell death kinetics and sterilization operations utilizing moist heat. 

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