Abstract: A method of sterilizing a material web is disclosed and involves directing a material web toward the inlet of a chamber having constriction zones located therein whose flow area is less than the flow area of other portions of the chamber. The material web is moved through the inlet and through the constriction zone while a gaseous sterilizing agent is introduced into the chamber on one side of the constriction zone and while a vacuum is being drawn in the chamber from an opposite side of the constriction zone. The constriction zone causes the gaseous sterilizing agent to accelerate and flow in close contact with the material web at very high speed to ensure that the gaseous sterilizing agent contacts and is uniformly distributed over the whole width of the material web so that effective sterilization of the entire material web takes place.

Abstract: An arrangement for sterilizing a travelling material web comprises a chamber having an inlet and an outlet so that the material web can enter and exit the chamber. Constriction zones are arranged between the inlet and outlet and are connected to one another by an intermediate chamber portion. The constriction zones are designed so that the web material is just able to pass freely between the constriction zones. The intermediate chamber portion is connected to a gas source while each of the constriction zones are connected to a vacuum source.

Abstract: An arrangement for the manufacture of a thin, in particular very thin (such as 5-50 micron), metal film (6) by cooling of molten metal or metallic alloy, this arrangement comprising a driven endless band (10) serving as casting substrate and a rotating roll (20) arranged closely adjoining the band (10) which is intended to be partially immersed in a bath (5) of the molten material for the pickup and transfer of the molten material from the bath (5) to the band (10) passing by for cooling so as to form the thin metal film (6).