A few days ago I posted a question associated with this thread
involving the use of hp sterilization in hospitals (autoclaves)
and someone was kind enough to answer me via E-mail but he has
not apparently seen fit to post for the benefit of all. The
answer was so deceptively simple I feel stupid for not
realizing it. How does high pressure sterilization work ---
or rather why is it used and why does it work better than
non-high pressure sterilization? By subjecting water to high
pressures within an autoclave you raise its boiling point!
This enables you achieve much hotter temperatures than you
would otherwise. For example water boils at 100 C. at sea
level but at pressures greater than (below) sea level it must
get much hotter to boil off. Water, rather than dry heat
is used as it presumably penetrates microorganisms better.
