Patent ID: 7604773

Claim:
Method of sterilising a packaging material, comprising forcing liquid hydrogen peroxide as a sterilising agent through a nozzle to form a jet directed towards a packaging material, subjecting the jet of liquid hydrogen peroxide to a controlled, periodic disturbance causing the jet of liquid hydrogen peroxide to form a train of hydrogen peroxide droplets substantially along a single imaginary line and of controlled, essentially uniform size and controlled rate, electrically charging the hydrogen peroxide droplets to produce electrically charged hydrogen peroxide droplets by conveying the hydrogen peroxide droplets between two charging plates, deflecting either wanted or unwanted hydrogen peroxide droplets by conveying the electrically charged hydrogen peroxide droplets between a pair of deflection plates, moving the packaging material in relation to said nozzle or vice versa, so that the wanted hydrogen peroxide droplets are applied to the packaging material to form a coating of hydrogen peroxide of controlled thickness and controlled coverage on the packaging material, and vaporising the film of hydrogen peroxide on the packaging material to carry out sterilisation of the packaging material.