Dry-heat resistance of Bacillus subtilis var. niger spores on mated surfaces

Bacillus subtilis var. niger spores were placed on the surfaces of test coupons manufactured from typical spacecraft materials (stainless steel, magnesium, titanium, and aluminum). These coupons were then juxtaposed at the inoculated surfaces and subjected to test pressures of 0, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 psi. Tests were conducted in ambient, nitrogen, and helium atmospheres. While under the test pressure condition, the spores were exposed to 125 C for intervals of 5, 10, 20, 50, or 80 min, with survivor data being subjected to a linear regression analysis that calculated decimal reduction times. Differences in the dry-heat resistance of the test organism resulting from pressure, atmosphere, and material were observed.