The difference among nitrile gloves, PVC gloves and latex gloves

With the outbreak of the epidemic, the demand for disposable protective gloves in the market has also increased dramatically. In fact, disposable gloves can be divided into nitrile gloves, PVC gloves and latex gloves according to the material. So what is the difference among them? 

 

First of all, in terms of material, nitrile gloves are NBR, a synthetic rubber, the main components of which are acrylonitrile and butadiene. PVC gloves are made of polyvinyl chloride; and latex gloves are made of natural latex (NR). So what are their advantages and disadvantages?

 

The material of nitrile gloves is degradable, so they will not be allergic when worn by users. Pigments can be added and the colors are brighter. The disadvantage is that the elasticity is poor and price is higher than latex gloves. The advantage of PVC gloves lies in low price, which also can be added with pigments to show bright colors. The disadvantage is that they contain high concentration of plasticizers. Plasticizers are internationally recognized as public enemies of health. They are easy to volatilize harmful gases when heated, and they are not degradable. Then what about latex gloves? Its advantages are that they are degradable and have better elasticity, but some people will suffer from skin allergies if they wear latex gloves for a long time.

 

What about their anti-static properties? ESD refers to the anti-static performance of products. It is generally believed that nitrile rubber products have anti-static performance, while PVC and latex do not have anti-static performance and are not suitable for ESD areas.

 

In fact, the anti-static performance of nitrile gloves also depends on the formula of coating. The ESD performance of products produced by coating from different manufacturers is different, which has little to do with glove manufacturer, even products made of the same material will have differences in performance. Therefore, nitrile gloves can be used as general anti-static gloves, but the performance is lower than professional anti-static gloves.

 

According to statistics, there were 417 billion disposable protective gloves in the world in 2017, of which medical grade accounted for about 64.7%. 72% of medical gloves were nitrile gloves and latex gloves. Due to the disadvantages of latex that may cause skin allergies in some people and high prices, the proportion of PVC and nitrile used in the medical field has gradually increased, and latex gloves will decrease in the long term. Nitrile gloves will be the main demand in the future.