1. Safety Gloves
Byung Joon Lim
10/16/2012

2. Safety Gloves Protect your hands from hazardous chemicals
“Gloves MUST BE worn whenever handling hazardous chemicals. Appropriate gloves MUST BE provided for all laboratory employees.”
– From EHS lab safety manual
Glove compatibility charts are useful to choose proper gloves.

3. Glove compatibility charts

4. Latex Mostly produced from natural rubber tree
Excellent protection from aqueous solution, but weak protection from various organic chemicals
Some people are allergic to latex.

5. Nitrile Most widely used in organic labs
Synthetic rubber copolymer of acrylonitrile and butadiene
Very resistant to aliphatic hydrocarbons, but permeable to aromatic hydrocarbons or ketones

6. Neoprene Synthetic rubber polymer registered by DuPont
Monomer is chloroprene.
Similar or Better protection effect against most chemical than nitrile
But more expensive!

7. Other polymers Butyl – isobutylene and isoprene
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – vinyl chloride
Viton - hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene Fluoride
Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) – ethylene and vinylalcohol
Working very well but very expensive!
Hardly used as disposable gloves in labs

9. Cautious!
“ANY glove can be permeated by chemicals.” – From EHS lab safety manual
Don’t believe gloves too much - Replace used gloves regularly!
Put on two folds of gloves (latex & nitrile)
More information for individual solvent or chemical