Chemical Resistance in Disposable Gloves

When you work with a variety of chemicals, understanding the chemical resistance of the disposable gloves protecting your hands is crucial. The length of exposure, conditions, and concentration of the chemicals all impact the performance of the glove.

Gloves are commonly rated on how well they withstand exposure to specific chemicals, which is done through exposing the material to a test chemical. This shows how the glove will degrade and the time it takes to do so. This will determine if a glove is a good fit for certain applications.

Gloves are also tested for permeation and breakthrough time if a chemical causes specific degradation to the material. The breakthrough time is the length of time between the initial chemical contact and when the residue is detected on the inside of the glove. This indicates how long the glove can safely be worn before it should be changed. Permeation is the way a chemical passes through the material without entering through the gloves visible openings.

With any type of glove, the length of exposure and concentration of the chemical may determine how resistant it is. For any intended use, it’s crucial to do on-site testing with the gloves so those using the gloves know how to best protect themselves.

Zoomget has a large variety of chemical-resistant gloves in nitrile, vinyl, and latex that are suited for a variety of industries. However, nitrile gloves may be better for automotive applications because they are more resistant to many of the chemicals used in this type of work such as gasoline and brake fluid. For any glove choice, it’s crucial to consider the resistance to specific chemicals that are used on the job.