Choosing the Correct Glove        

Gloves are produced from many different materials, each with specific properties for specific applications.

Contact us to ask for our specific chemical permeation charts.

Rubber/Latex

• Highly elastic with excellent tensile strength
• Very soft, and comfortable to wear
• Excellent tear resistance
• Resistant to alkalis, detergents and alcohols
• Suitable for aqueous (water based), acidic and alcoholic foods
• It should be noted that some people are allergic to natural latex rubber. These people should use a synthetic alternative
  

Nitrile (NBR, or Nitrile Butadiene Rubber)

• Synthetic material
• Excellent resistance to abrasions and punctures
• Resistant to a broad range of chemicals, particularly petroleum based solvents, oils and greases
• Suitable for contact with all types of foods including fatty, aqueous, acidic and alcoholic
• Latex free
  

Neoprene (Chloroprene)

• Synthetic material
• Very good tensile strength
• Excellent resistance to bleaches, detergents, alkalis, mineral and vegetable oils and bleaches
• Neoprene is a trademark of E I Du Pont De Nemours and Company
• Vinyl (PVC)
• Synthetic material
• Excellent resistance to fats, petroleum hydrocarbons and many acids
• Latex free
  

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)

• Excellent resistance to aromatic and chlorinated solvents
• Is not compatible with water or water based solutions
  

Dyneema®

• Excellent cut resistance, one of the strongest fibres in the world, commonly used in ropes, nets, ballistic protection and protective wear
• Will not absorb water into its fibres, therefore retaining its properties after laundering, or in conditions
• Dyneema® is a trademark of DSM High Performance Fibres BV
  

Twaron®

• A high performance fibre used for cut resistant protection
• Twaron® is a trade mark of Teijin Twaron BV
  

Kevlar®

• Very good cut resistance
• High tensile strength
• Withstands high temperatures without compromising its properties
• Very comfortable to wear for extended periods
  

Polyurethane

• Highly elastic
• Tough and durable
• Excellent abrasion resistance
• Excellent elastic memory – returns to its original form
• Tear resistant
• Resistant to oils, fats, greases
  

Nylon

• Breathable and flexible
• Comfortable to wear for long periods
• Very form fitting
• Washable
  

Latex Allergy
Latex rubber can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.
If the user still intends to wear latex, but wants to reduce exposure to latex allergy:
In the case of single use latex examination gloves, choose a lower protein version such as Pro-Val Securitex powder free latex examination gloves.
An alternative solution is a 100% nitrile single use glove such as the NiteSafe.
In the case of re-usable rubber gloves, contact can be reduced by wearing a liner such as Pro-Val Poly C,  Interlox  or Dynaline underneath the rubber glove.

Why should gloves be silicon free?

• Pro-Val gloves do not contain silicon for three reasons:
• Silicon can contaminate foods;
• Silicon has a level of conductivity that can damage electronic parts if contact occurs;
• Silicon can interfere with paint adhesion properties.
  

Glove storage

Store gloves in a cool, dry place.  Keep out of direct sunlight.



Example

CE Mark and European Standards

The European system of specifying glove properties assists the user in making more informed choices when selecting a glove for the application at hand. In the above example, the “0120” next to the CE indicates the “notified body”, ie. the organisation that conducted the tests.

Where EN 388 and a series of numbers is used (under the “hammer”), it is providing information about the glove’s mechanical (physical) performance.



EN 388
Assesses the glove physical performance in four “mechanical” hazards. The explanation of the symbol is shown as follows, where:



A = Abrasion resistance level;    Ratings 0 – 4
B = Cut resistance level;    Ratings 0 – 5
C = Tear resistance level;    Ratings 0 – 4
D = Puncture resistance level;    Ratings 0 – 4
Performance level    0    1    2    3    4    5
Abrasion cycles    <100    100    500    2000    8000    N/A
Cutting index    <1.2    1.2    2.5
5    10    20
Tear Force (N)    <10    10    25    50    75    N/A
Puncture Force (N)    <20    20    60    100    150    N/A
The higher the number, the higher the resistance level.

It is not always necessary or desirable to use a glove with the highest characteristics.  Sometimes these mechanical type risks are of minimal importance in an application.

An assessment must be made in context of the job at hand, the exposure pattern and intensity, and how long the glove is kept before being discarded.

EN 374 provides information relating to the glove chemical breakthrough times and micro-organism penetration.


EN 374-2
Penetration by micro-organism
Measures resistance to penetration by micro-organisms.  Referred to as acceptable quality level (AQL) Ratings: 1 – 3


EN 374-3

Permeation by chemicals
Measures the time chemicals take to break through the glove material (that is, the breakthrough time or BTT). Some chemical charts only list the performance level indicator of 1-5, without the specific time in minutes.  Pro-Val gloves provide both pieces of information to better inform the user.
 

Performance level    1    2    3    4    5    6
Breakthrough time    >10    >30    >60    >120    >240    >480

EN 455
Medical single use gloves
EN 455 is divided into 3 parts, which specify requirements and testing for:

EN 455-1: Freedom from pinholes;

EN 455-2: Physical properties;

EN 455-3: Biological evaluation

EN 420
Defines the general requirements for most types of protective gloves, especially:

• Product information, marking and packaging;
• Design and construction;
• Fitness and purpose;
• Sizing;
• Comfort and efficiency;
• Innocuousness;
• Storage.