surface tension is removed, allowing the liquid to leave the aerogel and produce nanometer sized pores. Sterilization of biomedical materials Supercritical is an alternative for thermal sterilization of biological materials and medical devices with combination of the additive peracetic acid (PAA). Supercritical does not sterilize the media, because it does not kill the spores of microorganisms. Moreover, this process is gentle, as the morphology, ultrastructure and protein profiles of inactivated microbes are preserved. Cleaning Supercritical is used in certain industrial cleaning processes. See also Caffeine Dry cleaning Perfume Supercritical fluid Atmosphere of Venus, nearly all carbon dioxide, supercritical at the surface References Further reading Mukhopadhyay M. (2000). Natural extracts using supercritical carbon dioxide. United States: CRC Press, LLC. Free preview at Google Books. Carbon dioxide Gas technologies Industrial gases Inorganic solvents