Are There Different Grades of Nitrile Gloves?

Wearing personal protective equipment nowadays has essentially become a part of our lives. Standard PPE that is widely used are face masks, face shields, and gloves. Like face masks and face shields, gloves are also made up of different materials. Some medical and disposable gloves are made from latex rubber, vinyl, and nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves are a petroleum by-product produced synthetically and are now the material of choice for a single-use glove. One good thing about nitrile gloves is that it does not create or cause any allergic reactions to the user, unlike the latex rubber. Nitrile gloves are proven to be more resistant to oils and acids. It is also more puncture-resistant compared to the natural rubber gloves. This kind of material is also superior in terms of its strength. 

Because the government and the healthcare workers advise the use of personal protective equipment, there is an abrupt increase in the demand for the production. Manufacturers from all over the world made sure that these personal equipment would cater to all the people who would need it.

Since the demand of wearing these personal protective equipment is now high, this gave the different manufacturers an idea to manufacture various types of PPE to provide a wide variety of products to offer the consumers. Just like any other personal protective equipment, a nitrile glove also has its own standard specification or requirements to meet. This is to ensure that the gloves you are purchasing are authentic ones. Nitrile glove uses the ISO standard (International Standards Organization).

The Thickness and Strength of Nitrile Glove

To measure the thickness of the disposable glove, the unit of measurement is mil. One mil is equivalent to a one-thousandth of an inch (0.001inch). The thickness of the nitrile gloves depends on their use. There are disposable nitrile gloves and general-purpose nitrile gloves. The disposable nitrile glove may be as thick as eight-fifteen mils, while the general-purpose nitrile gloves are typically four mils thick. 

A materials’ ability to resist tension when being pulled apart is called tensile strength. The tensile strength of a glove can be measured by how much stress a material can withstand stretching without breaking even with constant usage. 

Different Grades of Nitrile Gloves

Nitrile gloves have two major grades. These are industrial grade and medical grade. Stevens nitrile gloves also have this kind of category, and these two grades vary and depend on their application. 

Medical Grade

Medical grade gloves are one type of nitrile glove that health care workers often use. As the name suggests, it is often used in a workplace that is prone to bodily fluid contamination. This type of nitrile gloves is perfectly made and more suitable for protecting the user from contaminating different infectious diseases. It lowers the possibility of direct contact with any blood-borne pathogens. 

Like any medical devices that the medical healthcare workers often use, this type of nitrile gloves is regulated by the FDA (Foods and Drug Administration) in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration needs to check and approve all the medical grade nitrile gloves first before and after it reaches the marketplace where people can buy them.

Industrial Grade

Aside from the medical-grade that are often used in the hospital setting, there is also an industrial-grade nitrile glove. Industrial grade nitrile gloves are best worn if a person is working in a place where he or she is exposed to hazardous chemicals. This type of nitrile glove grading protects the user while handling harsh chemicals and solvents. 

Another feature of an industrial-grade nitrile glove is that it also has a high level of puncture resistance aside from its high chemical resistance. This means that this type of nitrile glove is especially important when handling dangerous and sharp objects like syringes, needles, thorns, etc. Because of the protection it gives while handling sharp objects; this nitrile glove is ideal for waste work. The industries that are mainly required to wear this type of nitrile gloves are those who are working in automotive, janitorial, and food services.

With the kind of work they have, they need a piece of personal protective equipment that would give the best protection possible for them. Their type of work requires intensive protection as they are exposed to harmful substances and objects. Thus, the thickness of these gloves also varies. Industrial-grade gloves are between six to eight millimeters thick. The thicker your industrial-grade nitrile glove is, the more protection it can give from the harsh chemicals and environmental hazards. Aside from the protection, it can provide, the thicker your industrial grade glove is, the higher the level of its dexterity and flexibility.