Gloves Chemical Resistant

Quick Answer: The Gloves Chemical Resistant listing offers chemical resistant gloves in a reusable gauntlet style, shown in green in the listing photograph. They are thicker and longer than disposable gloves and are worn when hands and forearms may be in contact with chemical solutions for more than a moment.

Choosing a Glove by the Chemical

No glove resists every chemical. Performance depends on the glove material and its thickness, and is judged in two ways: degradation, meaning the swelling, softening or cracking of the glove itself, and permeation, the slow passage of chemical molecules through the intact material. The time until a chemical is first detected on the inside is called the breakthrough time, and glove makers publish it in resistance charts.

The listing does not name the material. Green gauntlets of this kind are commonly nitrile, which as a general rule handles oils, many solvents and dilute acids and alkalis well, while neoprene, butyl and PVC gauntlets suit other chemical groups. Before use, compare the chemicals you handle with the resistance chart for the glove supplied, and check each chemical’s safety data sheet for the glove type it recommends.

Length matters when hands go into a bath or bucket: the long cuff keeps drips off the wrist and can be folded back to form a drip lip. For quick tasks where fingertip feel counts more than contact time, the thin disposable nitrile gloves are the lighter choice.

Specifications

Care Between Uses

• Rinse the outside of the gloves with water before taking them off, then remove them without touching the outer surface.
• Inflate each glove by trapping air at the cuff and check for pinholes before use.
• Dry them inside out and store away from sunlight and heat.
• Discard any glove that has swollen, stiffened, turned sticky or changed colour, which are signs of chemical attack.

Chemical Handling Tasks

• Making up and diluting acids and alkalis in preparation rooms.
• Cleaning glassware in acid or detergent soak baths.
• Handling fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture laboratories.
• Emptying and cleaning chemical waste containers.

Why Choose LabEquip

Chemistry technicians, cleaning staff and agriculture departments buy gauntlet gloves as their main hand protection for wet chemical tasks. LabEquip lists them in General Lab Products with PVC protective clothing for splash work, and material or size needs can be discussed through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is breakthrough time?

It is the time from first contact until a chemical is detected on the inside of the glove material in a permeation test. Longer is better, and it varies with the chemical, the glove material and its thickness, so it has to be read for each chemical.

Can one pair of gloves be used for all chemicals?

No. A glove that resists acids well may fail quickly with some solvents. Check the resistance data for every chemical group you handle and keep a second glove type if needed.

How are these different from disposable nitrile gloves?

Chemical resistant gauntlets are thicker and longer, are meant for prolonged contact and immersion, and are washed and reused. Disposable gloves are thin, give better fingertip feel and suit brief splash contact, after which they are discarded.

How do I check a glove for holes?

Trap air in the glove by twisting or rolling the cuff, then squeeze gently while watching and listening for leaks. Holding the inflated glove near your cheek also lets you feel escaping air.

When should chemical gloves be thrown away?

Discard them if they swell, stiffen, crack, feel sticky or change colour, or if a chemical has soaked through. Gloves used with highly toxic chemicals are usually disposed of after that single task.

Why is the gauntlet cuff sometimes folded back?

Turning the cuff back forms a small lip that catches liquid running down the glove when the hands are raised, so drips do not reach the wrist or sleeve.

Last Updated: September 2026