Assessing the suitability of self-healing rubber glove for safe handling of pesticides

Abstract

Rubber gloves used for protection against chemicals or hazards are generally prone to tearing or leaking after repeated use, exposing the worker to potentially hazardous agents. Self-healing technology promises increased product durability and shelf life appears to be a feasible solution to address these issues. Herein, we aimed to fabricate a novel epoxidized natural rubber-based self-healable glove (SH glove) and investigate its suitability for handling pesticides safely. In this study, breakthrough time analysis and surface morphological observation were performed to determine the SH glove’s ability to withstand dangerous chemicals. The chemical resistance performance of the fabricated SH glove was compared against four different types of commercial gloves at different temperatures. Using malathion as a model pesticide, the results showed that the SH glove presented chemical resistance ability comparable to those gloves made with nitrile and NR latex at room temperature and 37 °C. The self-healing test revealed that the SH glove could be self-healed and retained its chemical resistance ability close to its pre-cut value. Our findings suggested that the developed SH glove with proven chemical resistance capability could be a new suitable safety glove for effectively handling pesticides and reducing glove waste generation.

Optimizing natural rubber blends for examination gloves: Vacuum radiation for mechanical strength and solvent barrier

“…The dried NR/SIS blend films of 0.48 mm in thickness comply with the specification of palm thickness for NR examination gloves according to an international standard of EN ISO 374-1:2016. 6 The films were then packed in a vacuum plastic bag and gases were sucked out using a single stage vacuum pump (Value, VE115N) with the pressure of 15 Â 10 À5 Pa (high vacuum) and time of 120 seconds. For ambient condition, the samples were packed in polyethylene bags.…”

“…A similar result has been obtained in another recent study that the NR latex gloves with thickness of 0.44-0.46 mm had higher permeability compared to nitrile gloves. 6 Therefore, the improved solvent permeability of vulcanized films than commercial gloves implied the crosslinking via gamma irradiation has increased the chemical resistance performance of NR/SIS films. This could be explained by the fact that crosslinking reduces the mobility of rubber chains and limits the available free space.…”

“…Another study also found that nonpolar malathion in pesticides permeates nonpolar NR latex glove more quickly and lower the breakthrough times than polar nitrile glove. 6 The permeability behavior of fabricated vulcanized NR/SIS films could be correlated to their morphologies. Based on the cross-sectional FESEM image in Figure 8c, the presence of pores approximately 100 μm in the control film might be the reason for the faster penetration of solvents compared to vulcanized films.…”

“…5 In a recent study, Supramaniam and coworkers fabricated an innovative self-healing glove using epoxidized natural rubber, demonstrating its chemical resistance comparable to that of nitrile and NR latex gloves. 6 Although the sulfur-vulcanized NR gloves have shown good mechanical performance, the addition of sulfur could increase NR degradation time in the natural environment and decrease microbial activity due to the formation of strong sulfide crosslinks in the rubber chains. 7 Additionally, the emission of gaseous sulfur compounds leads to increased carbon emissions into the environment and causes inflammation of the respiratory system, contributing to environmental and health problems.…”

“…Another study has revealed that sulfur‐vulcanized NR composite with a 30 wt% loading exhibited the lowest salt solution and water absorption, measuring less than 10% 5 . In a recent study, Supramaniam and coworkers fabricated an innovative self‐healing glove using epoxidized natural rubber, demonstrating its chemical resistance comparable to that of nitrile and NR latex gloves 6 . Although the sulfur‐vulcanized NR gloves have shown good mechanical performance, the addition of sulfur could increase NR degradation time in the natural environment and decrease microbial activity due to the formation of strong sulfide crosslinks in the rubber chains 7 .…”