WHAT IS THE BEST GLOVE?

Headnote

Answers to your chemical-resistant hand protection questions

Every week dozens of hand protection distributors, safety officers and end users turn to the manufacturing community for answers to their questions about chemical-resistant personal protection equipment (PPE) for workers' hands. Many of the questions come up time and time again. Here we have addressed those that are asked most often.*

1. What is the best glove to wear when handling sulfuric acid?

Sulfuric acid is the top produced inorganic acid in the U.S. Used in batteries, agricultural applications, ore processing, refining and many different applications, it is one of the most often stored and spilled chemicals in the U.S. and worldwide. As with all acids, the concentration of the acid can make a big difference in finding the best glove material:

Concentrated Sulfuric Acid: For concentrations of >70 percent, butyl, Viton, laminate gloves or Neoprene or PVC gloves offer the most protection. Of these choices, Neoprene and PVC are the lowest cost and offer a wider variety of configurations for such activities as tank or drum handling or line attachments where a tear might occur. Neoprene or PVC-coated gloves with a textile substrate provide the strength, durability and chemical resistance that may out-shadow just the chemical resistance needs alone.

Battery Acid: For dilutions of acids such as battery acid, which is 30-70 percent concentration, Neoprene, nitrile, natural rubber or PVC gloves all offer excellent protection in a broad spectrum of configurations that may be ideal for refineries or tank or drum handling operations.

2. What is the best chemical-resistant glove for temperature extremes?

On the cold side, it is very difficult to find proper hand protection from cryogenic materials. Most of the elastomeric glove materials associated with chemical resistance do not hold up in cryogenic applications where there is direct contact with liquid nitrogen or anhydrous ammonia. These materials may shatter like broken glass. Neoprene, for example, hardens due to its inherent crystallinity at temperatures that are not even as cold as the cryogenic realm. Some PVC gloves are specially formulated to remain soft at low temperatures.

In high temperatures, extreme caution is advised if you are using a chemical such as an acid or caustic. Permeation breakthrough times are based on...