Method of sterilising a packaging material by means of a sterilising agent in liquid form

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.