The Effect of Glove Flexure on Permeation Parameters

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Abstract
Selection of gloves and other articles of chemical protective clothing (CPC) based on their performance against chemical permeation is the most common approach to the control of skin permeation of toxicants. However, there are several factors that can affect the efficacy of CPC which are not considered in the typical permeation test. These include temperature variations, intermittent use and reuse, thickness variations, and tool use. In this article the effects of hand flexure on permeation parameters are reported. Polyvinylchloride (PVC) or neoprene gloves were exposed to heptane or acetone and a human hand provided the flexing motion at average rates of about 30 or 50 flexes per minute for periods of up to 2 hours. A static or no flex condition was also tested as baseline. Permeation was assayed through weight loss by weighing together the test system (gloves and test cell) at periodic intervals. Results showed an effect of flex on permeation parameters for both polymers. While there was a statistically significant difference in both of the flex results (low or high) versus the no flex condition, there was no difference in the two flex levels. However, for the PVC system there was a clear trend of increasing permeation from no to low to high flex results. It is concluded that glove flexing does affect permeation behavior; however, the flexing conditions used in this experiment probably represent a near worst-case scenario for these effects.