Chemical-resistant gloves

Glove materials such as nitrile, neoprene, butyl rubber, natural rubber, PVC and laminate films each resist different chemical families. A glove that holds up well against an acid may be quickly damaged by a solvent, and a thin disposable glove is meant for brief splashes rather than immersion. This is why a generic instruction to wear gloves is not enough.

The SDS is the starting point. Section 8 usually names a suitable material, and the hazard information in Sections 2 and 11 shows how important skin protection is. Manufacturers also publish chemical resistance charts and test results, including Breakthrough time data, which show how long a chemical takes to come through the material. Thickness, cuff length, grip and dexterity matter as well.

Gloves fail in several ways. Chemicals can pass through the material by Permeation without any visible hole, they can degrade the glove so that it swells or cracks, or they can penetrate through tears and pinholes. Reusable gloves should be inspected before use, rinsed and dried correctly, and thrown away when stiff, discolored or damaged.

Removal is as important as selection. Peeling gloves off inside out and washing hands afterwards helps avoid transferring chemicals to bare skin. Contaminated disposable gloves should go into the correct waste stream. Gloves are one part of Personal protective equipment (PPE), and they work best along with good handling practice and tools that keep hands away from the chemical.