In the past year new nitrile gloves have entered the market aimed at widening the utility of nitrile examination gloves to replace natural rubber latex examination gloves.

Advantages

1) Price: Thin nitrile examination gloves can compete directly in price with latex examination gloves, yet offer significant other benefits.

2) Comfort: Nitrile softens rapidly on the skin to provide the most comfortable experience, even when the glove is used for extended periods.

3) Tactility: Close fitting nitrile provides enhanced tactility, especially with micro roughened fingertips.

4) Chemical Resistance: Nitrile is inherently more chemical resistant than latex.

5) Improved Heat Dissipation: The thin film nitrile is able to dissipate heat from the hand faster, reducing sweating and skin irritation

It can be seen that relatively small decreases in the film thickness make a significant increase in heat dissipation.

Nitrile glove production is exceptionally competitive and manufacturers will seek to offer a similar product. Clearly not all will have the technical expertise to modify existing formulations to enable them to enter this fast developing market.

Application of Thin Nitrile Gloves

a) Food Preparation

Vinyl disposable gloves for use with food preparation are regulated by 1935/2004/EC, 2007/19/EC and 2008/39/EC. A better alternative is to use thin nitrile gloves which meet the ‘food safe’ requirements.

b) Medical, Industrial, Laboratory and Pharmaceutical

Gloves are widely and increasingly used in hospitals and throughout industry.

The protection required in a hospital is not the same as that required in industry – basically in a hospital environment the gloves are to protect the patient from the glove user, whereas in industrial applications it is the user who requires protection from what is being handled.

Not surprisingly, gloves for the different applications require different standards.