Rubber Gloves

Rubber Gloves

Rubber Gloves are protective hand covers worn to reduce human exposure to dangerous or harmful environments. Rubber hand gloves have found their usage in various industrial and medical applications. They are made by using different types of rubber depending upon the requirement of the task. These gloves are of great use when to protect hands from chemicals, hot water, staining, dust, oil or icky substances that need to be cleaned. There are many types of rubber gloves available for various needs.

Types of Rubber Gloves

Rubber hand gloves manufacturers make different types of gloves using various raw materials apt for different purposes.

  • General-purpose safety gloves or sleeves
  • Household gloves
  • Surgical gloves
  • Industrial gloves
  • Welding gloves
  • Electrical gloves etc.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Industrial Rubber Gloves

There are a variety of glove types available in the market today which are designed for use with specific chemicals and chemical families. Each type of glove has its own advantages and disadvantages and this should be considered carefully before use. The following table highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each type of gloves:

Type Advantages Disadvantages Use Against
Natural Rubber (Latex ) Good physical properties, dexterity, low cost Poor against greases, oils; organics frequently imported. Bases, alcohols, dilute water solutions; fair vs. aldehydes, ketones
Natural Rubber Blends Dexterity, better chemical, low cost resistance than natural rubber vs. some chemicals Physical properties frequently inferior to natural rubber Same as natural rubber
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Very good physical properties, medium cost, medium chemical resistance Plasticizers can be stripped Strong acids and bases, salts, other water solutions, alcohols
Neoprene Medium chemical resistance, medium physical properties N/A Oxidizing acids, anilines, glycol ethers
Nitrile Excellent physical properties, long service life Poor vs. benzene, methylene chloride, trichloro- ethylene & many ketones Oils, greases, aliphatic chemicals, xylene, perchloroethylene, trichloroethane; fair vs. toluene
Butyl Specialty gloves, polar organics Expensive, poor vs. hydrocarbons, & chlorinated solvents Glycol ethers, ketones, esters
Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Good physical properties, specialty glove, resists a very broad range of organics, Very expensive, water sensitive, poor vs. light alcohols Aliphatics, aromatics, chlorinated solvents, ketones (except acetone), esters, ethers
Fluoroelastomer (Viton) Specialty glove, organic solvents Extremely expensive, poor physical properties, poor vs. some ketones, esters, amines Aromatics, chlorinated solvents, also Aliphatics and alcohols

Types of Rubber Used in Making Gloves

  • Natural Rubber used for making latex gloves
  • Natural Rubber Blends
  • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
  • Neoprene
  • Nitrile Rubber (NBR)
  • Butyl Rubber (IIR)
  • Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)
  • Vinyl Alcohol (PVA)
  • Fluoroelastomers (FKM)/ Viton

The most popular of these rubber latex gloves are the nitrile rubber gloves or the nitrile gloves and the vinyl gloves. While the household gloves used for dishwashing and other such works are mostly made of latex, the industrial gloves are made from high performing synthetic rubber types mentioned above.

Buying Tips for Rubber Gloves

Factors to consider when selecting gloves include:

  • Resistance to physical damage such as tearing or abrasion.
  • The dexterity needed when the gloves are worn.
  • The extent of coverage required.
  • Specific hazards such as electricity or volatile organic chemicals (VOC).
  • Always inspect the glove for cuts or punctures prior to use To consider the risk of allergic sensitization when selecting rubber gloves rather than just choosing the lowest cost item available.

Applications of Rubber Gloves

Gloves are used in a variety of applications like:

  • Automotive and aircraft assembly
  • Battery manufacturing
  • Printing industry
  • Food processing
  • Chemical processing
  • Graphic arts
  • Minimal chemical
  • Refining
  • Mining
  • Medical
  • Handling abrasive materials coated with grease and oil, caustics, acids and solvents.