Appendix C
Glove Selection Chart
The following table is provided as a guide to the different types of glove materials and the chemicals they can be used against. When selecting chemical resistance gloves, be sure to consult the manufacturer's recommendations, especially if the gloved hand will be immersed in the chemical.
| Type | Advantages | Disadvantages | Use Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural rubber | Low cost, good physical properties, dexterity | Poor vs. oils, greases, organics. Frequently imported; may be poor quality | Bases, alcohols, dilute water solutions; fair vs. aldehydes, ketones. |
| Natural rubber blends | Low cost, dexterity, better chemical resistance than natural rubber vs. some chemicals | Physical properties frequently inferior to natural rubber | Same as natural rubber |
| Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) | Low cost, very good physical properties, medium cost, medium chemical resistance | Plasticizers can be stripped; frequently imported may be poor quality | Strong acids and bases, salts, other water solutions, alcohols |
| Neoprene | Medium cost, medium chemical resistance, medium physical properties | NA | Oxidizing acids, anilines, phenol, glycol ethers |
| Nitrile | Low cost, excellent physical properties, dexterity | Poor vs. benzene, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, many ketones | Oils, greases, aliphatic chemicals, xylene, perchloroethylene, trichloroethane; fair vs. toluene |
| Butyl | Specialty glove, polar organics | Expensive, poor vs. hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents | Glycol ethers, ketones, esters |
| Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) | Specialty glove, resists a very broad range of organics, good physical properties | Very expensive, water sensitive, poor vs. light alcohols | Aliphatics, aromatics, chlorinated solvents, ketones (except acetone), esters, ethers |
| Fluoro- elastomer (Viton) ™ * | Specialty glove, organic solvents | Extremely expensive, poor physical properties, poor vs. some ketones, esters, amines | Aromatics, chlorinated solvents, also aliphatics and alcohols |
| Norfoil (Silver Shield) | Excellent chemical resistance | Poor fit, easily punctures, poor grip, stiff | Use for Hazmat work |
*Trademark of DuPont Dow Elastomers
| Chemical | Neoprene | Natural Latex or Rubber | Butyl | Nitrile Latex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Acetaldehyde | Very Good | Good | Very Good | Good |
| Acetic acid | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| *Acetone | Good | Very Good | Very Good | Poor (not recommended) |
| Ammonium hydroxide | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| *Amyl acetate | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Poor (not recommended) |
| Aniline | Good | Fair | Fair | Poor (not recommended) |
| *Benzaldehyde | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
| *Benzene | Fair | Fair | Fair | Poor (not recommended) |
| Butyl acetate | Good | Fair | Fair | Poor (not recommended) |
| Butyl alcohol | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Carbon disulfide | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| *Carbon tetrachloride | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Good |
| Caster oil | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Very Good |
| *Chlorobenzene | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Poor (not recommended) |
| *Chloroform | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) |
| Chloronaphthalene | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Fair |
| Chromic Acid (50%) | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Fair |
| Citric acid (10%) | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Cyclohexanol | Good | Fair | Good | Very Good |
| *Dibutyl phthalate | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Good | Good |
| Diesel fuel | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Very Good |
| Diisobutyl ketone | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Good | Poor (not recommended) |
| Dimethylformamide | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
| Dioctyl phthalate | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Very Good |
| Dioxane | Very Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Epoxy resins, dry | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| *Ethyl acetate | Good | Fair | Good | Fair |
| Ethyl alcohol | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Ethyl ether | Very Good | Good | Very Good | Good |
| *Ethylene dichloride | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Poor (not recommended) |
| Ethylene glycol | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Formaldehyde | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Formic acid | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Freon 11 | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Good |
| Freon 12 | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Good |
| Freon 21 | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Good |
| Freon 22 | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Good |
| *Furfural | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Gasoline, leaded | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Very Good |
| Gasoline, unleaded | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Very Good |
| Glycerine | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Hexane | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Good |
| Hydrochloric acid | Very Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Hydrofluoric acid (48%) | Very Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Hydrogen peroxide (30%) | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Hydroquinone | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
| Isooctane | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Very Good |
| Isopropyl alcohol | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Kerosene | Very Good | Fair | Fair | Very Good |
| Ketones | Good | Very Good | Very Good | Poor (not recommended) |
| Lacquer thinners | Good | Fair | Fair | Poor (not recommended) |
| Lactic acid (85%) | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Lauric acid (36%) | Very Good | Fair | Very Good | Very Good |
| Lineoleic acid | Very Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Good |
| Linseed oil | Very Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Very Good |
| Maleic acid | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Methyl alcohol | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Methylamine | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
| Methyl bromide | Good | Fair | Good | Fair |
| *Methyl chloride | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) |
| *Methyl ethyl ketone | Good | Good | Very Good | Poor (not recommended) |
| *Methyl isobutyl ketone | Fair | Fair | Very Good | Poor (not recommended) |
| Methyl methacrylate | Good | Good | Very Good | Fair |
| Monoethanolamine | Very Good | Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Morpholine | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Good |
| Naphthalene | Good | Fair | Fair | Good |
| Naphthas, aliphatic | Very Good | Fair | Fair | Very Good |
| Naphthas, aromatic | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Good |
| *Nitric acid | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| Nitromethane (95.5%) | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Fair |
| Nitropropane (95.5%) | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Fair |
| Octyl alcohol | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Oleic acid | Very Good | Fair | Good | Very Good |
| Oxalic acid | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Palmitic acid | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Perchloric acid (60%) | Very Good | Fair | Good | Good |
| Perchloroethylene | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Good |
| Petroleum distillates (naphtha) | Good | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Very Good |
| Phenol | Very Good | Fair | Good | Fair |
| Phosphoric acid | Very Good | Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Potassium hydroxide | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Propyl acetate | Good | Fair | Good | Fair |
| Propyl alcohol | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Propyl alcohol (iso) | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Sodium hydroxide | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Styrene | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Fair |
| Stryene (100%) | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Fair |
| Sulfuric acid | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Tannic acid (65%) | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good | Very Good |
| Tetrahydrofuran | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| *Toluene | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Fair |
| Toluene diisocyanate | Fair | Good | Good | Fair |
| *Trichloroethylene | Fair | Fair | Poor (not recommended) | Good |
| Triethanolamine | Very Good | Good | Good | Very Good |
| Tung oil | Very Good | Poor (not recommended) | Fair | Very Good |
| Turpentine | Good | Fair | Fair | Very Good |
| *Xylene | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Poor (not recommended) | Fair |
*Limited service