Method employing steam to sterilize packaging material

Claim 1

In the steam sterilization of packaging material, such as blanks intended for containers of acid liquids, the improvement which comprises employing a packaging material with a surface germ-count of less than approximately 1 germ/dm 2 , forming the packaging material with a surface germ-count of less than approximately 1 germ/dm 2 into open containers, preheating the surfaces of the containers to 60° to 80° C. with air at 100° to 200° C., placing the containers into a sterile space after preheating, completing sterilization in the sterile space by treating the containers solely with steam at atmospheric pressure for 3 to 10 seconds including blowing the steam into the container in a sequence of five cycles of one to two seconds each in volumes of at least ten times that of the container and forming by condensation a thin film of water on the inner surface of the container that is as continuous as possible and that has a temperature of 90° to 100° C., drying the sterilized containers in the sterile space with sterile hot air at 150°-200° C. and filling the completely sterilized containers in a separate space and sealing the filled containers.