STERILIZATION OF POWDERY OR GRANULAR MATERIAL

摘要

PURPOSE:To enable the sterilization of a powdery or granular material without causing the degradation and breakage of the material, by contacting a powdery or granular material with high-pressure carbon dioxide in the presence of water and/or ethanol. CONSTITUTION:A powdery or granular material is filled in a sterilization chamber 1 and high-pressure carbon dioxide is supplied by a carbon dioxide pump 2 to the bottom of the chamber 1 under a pressure of 50-400kg/cm<2>G at 10-40 deg.C. Ethanol is charged to the chamber 1 through the ethanol pump 3 and the mixer 4 and mixed with the high-pressure carbon dioxide. After the sterilization of the powdery or granular material for a definite interval, the valve 7 is opened to reduce the pressure and the sterilized powdery or granular material is taken out of the chamber. When water is used in place of ethanol, the water-content in the bacterial cell existing in the powdery or granular material is adjusted to 10-95wt%.