HOT AIR OVEN

 

Is also method of sterilization applied with the used of constructed instrument called hot oven. Hot are oven are used to sterilized a material that will not be affected within the temperature of 160-180ºC  and this method should be used for material the is not sweet able for autoclaving, sterilization of dry glass ware, and material that did not require water such as powder, wax and oils etc.

Air has low power to conduct heat, in other to achieved best result, oven has an in build fan which help regulate the air inside the oven, such that the convection take a desire effect. Also as poor conductor of heat, the oven should not be congested with load, because when hot oven is congested it will prevent the circulation of hot air in the oven the by cause improper sterilization. Time for sterilization is 160ºC for 1 hour or 180ºC for 30 minute.

Oven is a poor conductor, in this case when calculating time of exposure i.e powder contain in a 125 jar, it take 45 minute to reach the operating point of 160ºC since the sterilization in 160ºC if 4 hour then the sterilization of the powder time must be adjusted by increasing the time. It very important to allowed the oven to cool before removing the sterilized material from it.

Do to quick concentration of air in the container; unsterilized air can be drone in, which sometime may even cause damage to the glassware do to quick cooling.