Autoclave Pressure and Moist Microbial Destruction versus Dry Heat

Autoclave
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Sterilization Process
An autoclave is a device used in laboratories for sterilization and disinfection. The machine works by combining steam, pressure, and time. For sterilization, the minimum temperature required by an autoclave is 121°C and a pressure of 15 psi for a minimum of 30 minutes for effective results. Steam under pressure is used as a sterilizing agent in the process. Intentional lack of outlets in the machine causes the temperature to peak, hence killing the microbes by heat saturation (CDC, 2019). Autoclaves operations are governed by the principle of moist heat sterilization and are achieved by heating the device within a temperature exceeding water boiling. Gay-Lussac’s law explains the process, also called Amonton’s Law. The law states that gas temperature is directly proportional to the pressure of the gas at constant pressure (Kilmer & Krehbiel, 2019). As an autoclave is heated continuously, the temperature inside the chamber increases, resulting in to increase in pressure that, in return, causes increases the pressure in the chamber. High temperatures reduce the time required for autoclavin...