Glove Selection Guide
Selection of glove materials should be based on quantitative information such as permeation rate, breakthrough time, penetration and degradation. Various factors like the thickness of the material, manufacturing methods, and product quality control can have a significant effect on these properties.
For a given thickness, the type of polymer selected has the greatest influence on the level of chemical protection. For a given polymer an increase in thickness will result in a higher level of protection. A rule of thumb is that double the thickness will quadruple the breakthrough time.
The manufacturing process of glove making may result in slight variations in performance. The user is warned to exercise care and to check the glove regularly for breakthrough and diminished physical performance.
Some of the more common glove materials are:
• butyl - a synthetic rubber with good resistance to weathering and a wide variety of chemicals.
• latex (natural rubber) - a highly flexible and conforming material made from a liquid tapped from rubber plants. Also referred to as NRL.
• neoprene - a synthetic rubber having chemical and wear-resistance properties superior to those of natural rubber.
• nitrile - a copolymer available in a wide range of acrylonitrile (propane nitrile) content;
chemical resistance and stiffness increase with higher acrylonitrile content. Also called NBR or HNBR.
• polyethylene - a fairly chemical-resistant material used as a freestanding film or a fabric coating.
• polyvinyl alcohol - a water-soluble polymer that exhibits exceptional resistance to many
organic solvents that rapidly permeate most rubbers. Not to be used with aqueous solutions.
• polyvinyl chloride - a stiff polymer that is made softer and more suitable for protective clothing applications by the addition of plasticizers. Also called vinyl or PVC.
• polyurethane - an abrasion-resistant rubber that is either coated onto fabrics or formed into gloves or boots.
• Viton® - a registered trademark of DuPont, it is a highly chemical-resistant but expensive
synthetic elastomer.
