Steam Quality Testing
When it comes to steam sterilization, the caliber of the steam fed into an autoclave is crucial. Steam is an essential factor in the effectiveness and reproducibility of the sterilizing process, just like temperature, pressure, and time are. Thus, any steam sterilizer's validation process ought to include a review of the steam quality.
The quantifiable physical characteristics of steam used for sterilizing are known as steam quality. These physical characteristics include the concentration of non-condensable gases, the temperature (superheat), and the dryness (liquid water content). (Steam quality does not correspond to the amount of impurities in the steam.)