By: Superior Glove, leading safety glove innovator
When selecting safety gloves, most people only focus on hazard ratings—seeing these strengths as the primary guide for choosing the right protection. While certain materials and ratings may indicate a strong performance against specific hazards like cut or attributes like comfort, they don’t account for material limitations that impact safety for specific tasks or environments.
In this article, we will explore these very limitations of common materials used in the manufacturing of safety gloves.
Glove material limitations
Protective qualities for safety gloves (and other PPE) largely depend on the materials used. Different materials provide varying levels of protection against hazards like cuts, chemicals, extreme temperatures, etc., but no glove is universally suited for all tasks.
Thermoplastic materials
Thermoplastic materials are versatile plastics known for their flexibility, strength, and lightweight properties. However, when exposed to high temperatures, they can melt and cause serious burn injuries.
HPPE (TenActiv™)
HPPE gloves are known for their lightweight yet strong fiber composition, which provides excellent cut resistance without sacrificing flexibility. But did you know that HPPE is thermoplastic? This means that when exposed to heat, the fibers can lose their strength and protective qualities, and at extreme temperatures even melt and graft to your skin, causing serious burns. This makes safety gloves made with HPPE unsuitable for high-heat environments and should be avoided.
Nylon & Polyester
Like HPPE, nylon and polyester are also thermoplastic materials. Nylon is exceptionally flexible, and polyester is known for its strength and durability. But, when exposed to heat, they can soften, melt, and graft to your skin in high-temperature environments, posing serious safety risks.
Glove additives
Additives are often incorporated into safety gloves to enhance mechanical protection like cut, puncture, abrasion etc.
Wire core & fiberglass
Wire core and fiberglass are often used in safety gloves to enhance cut resistance and durability. The material is lightweight, strong, and effective at reinforcing gloves for tasks involving sharp or abrasive objects. However, prolonged use of these gloves, especially around high-friction tasks, can cause fibers to poke through the glove lining and lead to skin irritation known as “glass itch” or “wire itch.” This sensation is caused by fibers embedding in the skin that can result in minor inflammation after extended use. Similarly, damaged gloves can also expose the fiberglass or wire core as the outer layer wears down or tears, leading to discomfort.
Material degradation
While all materials degrade over time, there are some that exhibit rapid reduction in protective qualities when exposed to certain materials or environments.
Chemical degradation
Chemical degradation occurs when materials break down at a structural level, compromising the protective qualities of safety gloves. For para-aramid (ParaActiv™) gloves, prolonged exposure to UV light or bleach weakens their structure, reducing strength, flexibility, and protection against cuts and punctures. Harsh chemicals like bleach also make the fibers brittle, further diminishing their protective performance.
Note: When handling hazardous substances, use chemical-resistant gloves designed for the specific chemicals involved, which can be identified by consulting an expert or the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). The MSDS provides crucial information on the chemical’s properties, hazards, safe handling, and emergency procedures.
Thermoplastic degradation
As mentioned earlier, safety gloves made with thermoplastic materials such as HPPE (TenActivTM), Nylon, and polyester can be unsafe to use for tasks involving heat exposure as they can melt and graft to your skin. Thermoplastic degradation can also occur when these materials are laundered / washed in high temperatures. The heat can cause fibers to melt, shrink, and lose their structural integrity—compromising the gloves’ protective capabilities.
If you’re not sure which protection is right for the task or have questions regarding specific products, it is best to ask an expert. At Superior Glove, you can get expert advice for all your hand safety or product questions from a real person—not a chatbot— to ensure you get the right protection for your team, ASK AN EXPERT TODAY! .