How to Read This Chart
Each Ansell product has three data points for each chemical category:
- Overall Degradation Resistance Rating;
- Permeation Time (time until breakthrough); and
- Permeation Rate.
Color Code Explanation
Data pairs (glove and chemical) are labeled green if they meet either of the following two conditions:
Condition 1:
- Degradation rating is Excellent (E) or Good (G).
- Permeation time is >30 minutes.
- Permeation rate is Excellent (E), Very Good (VG), or Good (G).
OR
Condition 2:
- No permeation rate is listed.
- Permeation time is >240 minutes.
- Degradation rating is Excellent (E), Very Good (VG), or Good (G).
Data pairs are labeled red if:
- Degradation rating is Poor (P) or Not Recommended (NR), regardless of permeation rating.
All other data pairs are labeled orange, indicating that they do not meet the green criteria but are not classified as red (i.e., degradation rating is not Poor or NR).
Permeation Rate Indicators
| Permeation Rate Rating | Solution Drips Per Hour(Equivalent to eye-drop size) |
|---|---|
| E (Excellent): <0.9 μg/cm²·min. | 0 to ½ drop |
| VG (Very Good): <9 μg/cm²·min. | 1 to 5 drops |
| G (Good): <90 μg/cm²·min. | 6 to 50 drops |
| F (Fair): <900 μg/cm²·min. | 51 to 500 drops |
| P (Poor): <9000 μg/cm²·min. | 501 to 5000 drops |
| NR (Not Recommended): >9000 μg/cm²·min. | >5001 drops |
Note: The revised ASTM standard uses micrograms per square centimeter per minute (μg/cm²·min.) to quantify permeation rate.
Permeation Time Indicators
- > Greater than (time)
- < Less than (time)
Degradation Resistance Ratings
- E (Excellent): Minimal degradation effect.
- G (Good): Slight degradation effect.
- F (Fair): Moderate degradation effect.
- P (Poor): Significant degradation effect.
- NR (Not Recommended): Material incompatible with the chemical.
Note: Samples rated P or NR in degradation tests are not subjected to permeation testing and are marked with a hyphen (-).
Tested Gloves
| Degradation | Permeation |
|---|---|
| Sol-Vex® 37-145Nitrile Rubber (11 mil/0.28 mm) | Sol-Vex® 37-165 (22 mil/0.54 mm) |
| 29-865Neoprene Unlined (15 mil/0.38 mm) | 29-865 (15 mil/0.38 mm) |
| PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol) Lined | PVA |
| Snorkel® PVC Lined | Monkey Grip |
| Canners 392Natural Latex (19 mil/0.48 mm) | Canners 392 (19 mil/0.48 mm) |
| ChemiPro™ 224Neoprene/Latex Blend (27 mil/0.67 mm) | ChemiPro™ 224 (27 mil/0.67 mm) |
| Barrier™ 2-100Composite LCP Film (2.5 mil/0.06 mm) | Barrier™ 2-100 (2.5 mil/0.06 mm) |
Note: Unlined gloves specify thickness in mils (imperial) and millimeters (metric). Lined gloves are differentiated by weight, not thickness.
Why Do Some Gloves with Shorter Permeation Times Have Higher Ratings Than Those with Longer Times?
A glove with a permeation time of 4 minutes may be rated VG (Very Good), while another with 30 minutes is rated F (Fair). Why? The answer lies in permeation rate.
Imagine two water pipes of the same length but different diameters connected to a Y-shaped faucet. When opened, the smaller pipe fills faster due to its limited volume. However, once the larger pipe starts flowing, its total water output surpasses the smaller pipe over time.
Similarly, for prolonged use, a glove with a faster breakthrough time but lower permeation rate may expose the user to less cumulative chemical exposure than a glove with a slower breakthrough time but higher permeation rate.
