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Chemical Compatibility Guide for Gloves

Choosing a Chemical Protective Glove

Gloves are an important piece of personal protective equipment when working with chemicals. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is the first and usually the best place to find a recommendation for which glove material is appropriate when handling the chemical. If that information is not available on the MSDS, the glove manufacturers test their glove materials with common workplace chemicals and provide test data in chart format. The test data is generally from a laboratory environment and with one specific chemical. Glove manufacturers generally do not test chemical mixtures nor consider other variables encountered in your application (hot or cold temperatures, cut hazards, etc). Below are the internet links for chemical compatibility guides of the larger glove manufacturers that are distributed by Lab Safety Supply.

MAPA
North
Ansell
Best Glove
Microflex

On these charts you will find gloves made from many different materials. Different glove materials can react differently to individual chemicals. An important consideration when choosing a protective glove for working with chemicals is how the specific chemical reacts with the glove material. A MSDS that only specifies an “acid-resistant glove” is misleading because one glove material may work fine with hydrochloric acid but provide little or no protection from nitric acid. Gloves are generally tested and rated in 3 categories for chemical compatibility: degradation, breakthrough time and permeation rate. All three should be considered when selecting a glove.

Degradation is a change in physical properties of the glove material. Common effects include swelling, wrinkling, stiffness, change in color or other physical deterioration. The degradation ratings indicate how well a glove will hold up when working with a specific chemical. Degradation tests vary by manufacturer-there is no standardized test that is used by everyone in the industry. However, the glove material usually has constant exposure to the test chemical and the percent weight change is then determined at time intervals.

Degradation is one critical factor when choosing a glove but other considerations are chemical breakthrough time and the permeation rate of the glove with the chemical. Degradation is usually the first test; most manufacturers’ do not test permeation or breakthrough time if the chemical causes significant degradation to the glove material. Degradation alone can be enough to disqualify a glove for use with a chemical.

Breakthrough Time is the elapsed time between initial contact of the chemical on one side of the glove material and the analytical detection of the chemical on the other side of the glove material. This test is conducted per ASTM F739 standard test method for Resistance of Protective Clothing Materials to Permeation by Hazardous Liquid Chemicals. The higher the result, the longer it takes for the chemical to pass through the glove material. The actual time is reported on the chemical is usually listed on the compatibility charts. If breakthrough did not occur, the data reported is typically ND (none detected) or > (greater than) the indicated test period. The times generally reflect how long a glove can be expected to provide resistance when totally submerged in the test chemical.

Permeation Rate is a measurement which describes the rate of chemical passing through the glove material at the molecular level. This process is similar to how a balloon looses air after enough time passes even though it is still tied and has no visible holes. The thickness of the glove can greatly affect the permeation rate.

Manufacturers report permeation rate in different ways. Some report in micrograms of chemical per square centimeter of glove material per minute. The higher the result, the more chemical passing through the glove material. Other manufacturers rate the permeation similar to that done for degradation: Excellent (E), Good (G), Fair (F), Poor (P) and Not Recommended (NR). If chemical breakthrough does not occur, then permeation is not measured. This is reported as ND (none detected) or NT (not tested), depending upon the manufacturer. This test is also conducted per ASTM F739.

Sources for More Information

See EZFacts® Document 191 for more information on selecting a chemical resistant glove.
See EZFacts® Document 306 for assistance with glove sizing.

Commonly Asked Questions

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