Gloves have been an essential part of personal protective equipment for a long time. Various gloves are manufactured for different types of jobs which are also tested on different levels to determine the durability they can offer. These gloves are often made of latex, para-aramid, metallic substances, and high modulus polyethylene that provide the gloves with a better backup when it comes to serving the purpose.
Some gloves are also made up of super fabric, which provides extreme durability and safety to the wearer whereas some gloves are cut-resistant, electrician gloves, and gloves that are often used in medical operations are made of latex or synthetic rubbers.
Latex gloves are made of natural rubber that contributes to safety against viruses and bacteria during operations and medical practices.
These gloves if worn for a long time can cause irritation to the skin and are often difficult to wear and remove, therefore cornstarch is a powdered substance that is usually used to make the process of wearing and removing the gloves more swiftly.
But at times this substance when caused to mix up with the sweat can cause infections and more irritation to the skin because of which powder-free nitrile gloves are often used as a replacement.
What are Powder-Free Nitrile Gloves?
Nitrile is a type of synthetic rubber that is used to manufacture gloves that don’t require the involvement of cornstarch or any other powdered substance because when manufacturing they undergo a procedure termed chlorination which eliminates the need for using any sort of powder and makes them form-fitting.
During this process of chlorination, the gloves are dipped in chlorine solution and then rinsed with water to get rid of the remaining latex proteins and other powdered residues that may be left on the gloves post-manufacturing.
Since the powder free nitrile gloves are made of nitrile rubber, they are hard to remove quickly and also provide a lesser firm grip to the wearer. The process of chlorination increases the cost of the gloves when compared to other latex gloves.
These gloves provide resistance against puncture through harsh chemical substances but impede range of motion.
If taken care of correctly and kept in the original packaging, not exposing it to unfavorable conditions, these gloves can last up to 5 years but you should never wash and reuse the nitrile gloves that have been used once in medical treatments and hazardous waste management to avoid any further contact with fatal viruses and infections.