Degradation may cause the glove to soften or swell or, in some cases, to become hard and brittle. Breakthrough Time is the elapsed time between the initial contact of a glove material with a liquid chemical and the time that the chemical can be detected on the inside surface of the glove. Penetration the flow of a liquid chemical through pores, imperfections or holes in a glove material. Leather, fabric or composite gloves that are designed to prevent cuts, abrasions and thermal burns will be penetrated by liquid chemicals and should not be used to prevent chemical contact. Permeation Rate is the highest rate of chemical transfer through a glove material during the test.
Computer programs are available that provide quantitative information on different glove types.
L iquid-Proof gloves are those that have adequate degradation and permeation resistance for a specific application. Variables affecting performance are thickness , the method of manufacture , and the concentration of the chemical . Some chemical resistant glove materials commonly available are described in the table on the following page. This is not intended to be a complete list. For chemical protective gloves, factors other than chemical resistance are also important.