Types of Gloves

Butyl rubber gloves Butyl rubber, sometimes just called "butyl", is a synthetic rubber, a copolymer of isobutylene with isoprene. The abbreviation IIR stands for isobutylene isoprene rubber.

When deciding between latex, nitrile and vinyl gloves…it can be a little confusing trying to determine which type of glove is the ideal choice. Let’s take a closer look at the attributes and benefits of each type of glove.

Neoprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. Neoprene exhibits good chemical stability and maintains flexibility over a wide temperature range. Neoprene is sold either as solid rubber or in latex form, and is used in a wide variety of applications, such as laptop sleeves, orthopedic braces, electrical insulation, liquid and sheet applied elastomeric membranes or flashings, and automotive fan belts.

Another common misconception is some people thinking they get latex allergies when they use powdered nitrile gloves. What actually happens is the corn starch used for the powder dries out the hands, and dry hands are confused with a latex allergy.

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) The Ansell PVA glove delivers very high resistance to aliphatics, aromatics, chlorinated solvents, esters and most ketones.

Polyvinyl chloride, better known as PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer that is used to coat the outside of gloves in order to provide protection from chemicals, punctures, cuts and abrasion. This variety of protective gloves are used in a number of job fields to protect from various potential hazards.

The Viton layer over the butyl means a lower cost glove for aggressive chemical exposure to aliphatic, halogenated and aromatic hydrocarbons as well as concentrated mineral acids. ♦ For an extra measure of security, each pair is packed with an individual insert so critical information is always at your fingertips.