4 ms·
Note that it's 121˚C (and under pressure), not a tepid water bath. Things like needle drivers and forceps hold up fine with some care, but things with delicate
by mattkrause 7y ago
Note that it's 121˚C (and under pressure), not a tepid water bath.
Things like needle drivers and forceps hold up fine with some care, but things with delicate moving parts are not supposed to be autoclaved. Plastics depend on the material--some are fine, some deform.
- kragen 7y agoRight, I didn't mean 121° Frankenstein, and I see now that my comment could be misinterpreted as meaning that all common plastics would be fine, when actually I only meant nylon, polydimethylsiloxane, and a few others — and even for nylon I should have been more specific.
- mattkrause 7y agoI was just trying to emphasize that it's a fairly...aggressive process. You can pasteurize eggs at ~135˚F and they're practically uncooked. The autoclave isn't like that at all--15-20 min at full temp/pressure plus the rampup/down times can do a number on things.
- kragen 7y agoI appreciate you having clarified my comment with your emphasis! It was definitely needed.