Polymeric gloves

Mixing of latex compounds is accompHshed by stirring ingredients into the latex in the form of water solutions, dispersions, or emulsions. Although the mbber softeners needed to process dry mbber are not necessary for latex, use of emulsified softeners or polymeric plasticizers in natural or synthetic latex compounds provides lower modulus in the finished products. This reduces hand fatigue and increases touch sensitivity in dipped mbber gloves. Mineral oils are also used as an economy. 

Chemical Reactivity - Reactivity with Water No reaction Reactivity with Common Materials Attacks copper and copper alloys these metals should not be used. Penetrates leather, so contaminated leather shoes and gloves should be destroyed. Attacks aluminum in high concentrations Stability During Transport Stable Neutralizing Agents for Acids and Caustics Not pertinent Polymerization May occur spontaneously in absence of oxygen or on exposure to visible light or excessive heat, violently in the presence of alkali. Pure ACN is subject to polymerization with rapid pressure development. The commercial product is inhibited and not subject to this reaction Inhibitor of Polymerization Methylhydroquinone (35 - 45 ppm). 

A number of different synthetic rubbers are produced commercially by diene polymerization. Both cis- and frrms-polyisoprene can be made, and the synthetic rubber thus produced is similar to the natural material. Chloroprene (2-chloro-l,3-butadiene) is polymerized to yield neoprene, an excellent, although expensive, synthetic rubber with good weather resistance. Neoprene is used in the production of industrial hoses and gloves, among other things. 

The best known aspect, and the first one to find commercialization in the direct fluorination area, was the fluorination of polymer surfaces. This Lagow-Margrave invention, trademarked Fluorokote, involved many types of polymeric materials in various forms e.g., polyethylene bottles, polypropylene objects, and rubber gloves. Polyethylene bottles are easily given fluorocarbon surfaces (>0.1 mm), and this has been commercialized. Air Products has at least 20 licenses for what is known as their Aeropak process and Union Carbide has a Linde Fluorination process as well. Applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic storage are widespread. 

Dissolved oxygen (which tends to inhibit the reaction) is removed under a vacuum. Four volumes of ammonium persulphate (3.0 g l-1) are added and gently mixed before pouring into the mould. The mixture is covered with a thin-layer of water to exclude air and allowed to polymerize (approximately 30 min). Protective gloves should be worn and the preparation of the gel carried out in a fume cupboard because the monomers are toxic. 

Genera/ The triblock copolymer is prepared by anionic polymerization. As in Example 3-19, the greatest care must be taken to exclude air and moisture. Also all transfers have to be carried out under rigorous exclusion of air, either in a glove box or using Schlenck techniques. Tetrahydrofurane is dried as described in Example 3-19. 

Polymerizations were carried out at 30°C in all glass, sealed reactors using breakseals and standard high vacuum techniques (3). For the calorimetric measurements, a 1 liter sample of a 0.03M solution of each polymeric lithium compound with M of ca. 4,000 was prepared in benzene solution using sec-butyl-lithium as initiator and transferred to the glove box. 

As discussed in eariler, PPE is fabricated from a wide variety of polymeric materials by many processes. Glove materials, for example, are multicomponent formulations containing one or more polymers and copolymers, processing aids, stabilizers, fillers and so forth. Gloves are typically sold under the generic name of the principal polymer in the formulation (e.g., nitrile, butyl, etc.). However, the formulations for the products sold under one generic name will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and, in some cases, within one manufacturer. 

As discussed in previous section, there are scores of polymeric materials from which gloves are fabricated. All of these materials are subject to some degree of chemical attack by pesticide formulations. The degree to which the pesticide formulation will attack any given polymeric material is dependent on the duration of the exposure, the temperature, the condition of the material, and the specific interactions between the polymer and the particu-... 

PPE materials having a continuous polymeric film are likely to resist permeation and penetration by all solid formulations and thns act as a barrier to solids contact with the skin. For solids, glove featnres snch as fit, ganntlet length, durability, etc. as discussed previously, are the key issues for glove selection decisions. 

The solntions that contain an organic solvent usually in the form of emnlsifiable concentrates and field application dilutions of such concentrates, represent the greatest potential challenge to the barrier effectiveness of polymeric gloves. Many of the solvents can severely degrade or permeate the glove materials when in nndilnted form. 

This procedure can be performed using a glove bag, but in such circumstances it is recommended that the exact quantities required for the polymerization (step 2) should be measured, to avoid any subsequent decomposition of the catalyst solution. 

---