ISSN: 0090-3973
Page Count: 6

Environmental Degradation of Natural Rubber Latex Gloves: The Effects of Elevated Temperature on Tensile Strength
Walsh, DL
Biomedical engineer and mechanical engineer, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Science & Technology, MD

Chwirut, DJ
Statistician, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Surveillance & Biometrics, MD

Kotz, RM

Abstract

Various styles of latex gloves were oven-aged for 7, 14, and 21 days at 70°C and then subjected to tension testing per ASTM D 412. Five of seven powder-free glove styles exhibited dramatic decreases in tensile strength after 7 to 14 days at 70°C, with total decreases in tensile strength ranging from 70 to over 90% after 21 days of aging. These five styles were examination gloves that were later confirmed to be chlorinated. In contrast, a chlorinated surgical glove, a non-chlorinated examination glove, and all of the powdered gloves (examination and surgical) subjected to the same conditions exhibited total decreases in tensile strength ranging from 0 to 25% after 21 days. These results suggest that chlorination, a process commonly used in the manufacture of powder-free gloves, may have detrimental effects on the ability of natural rubber latex to retain its barrier integrity after exposure to severely elevated temperatures.

Keywords:
gloves, natural rubber latex, tensile strength, chlorination, environmental degradation

Paper ID: JTE12168J
DOI: 10.1520/JTE12168J
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