Glossary
| TERM | DEFINITION | EXTERNAL LINKS |
| Accelerator | Accelerator are chemicals added during the glove manufacturing process, used to accelerate cross-linking of the polymer and control the physical properties of the latex / nitrile film. Accelerators include; carbamates, thiurams. Certain individuals can develop a sensitivity to accelerators resulting in type IV chemical allergies. These individuals are recommended to use accelerator free glove formulations. | |
| Accelerator Free | Gloves produced without chemical accelerators or where the glove is produced with accelerators that are removed in the final product by further processing. The FDA has recently introduced a new category of gloves called “Low Dermatitis Potential” where glove must pass patch testing on a minimum of 200 human subjects before being awarded this status. This was introduced to avoid confusion to end users to the sometimes dubious claims by some manufacturers around “accelerator free” | |
| Allergy | Allergies to gloves is a “catch all” phrase that encompasses a number of glove related sensitivities.
There are three types of reactions to natural rubber latex: Type I allergic reactions to latex can be severe and life threatening. Individuals with this type of allergy should avoid all contact with Natural Rubber Latex. Use of synthetic gloves eliminates risk of type I allergies. Cell-Mediated Contact Dermatitis (Type IV) is a type of allergy to latex. This type of reaction is usually due to sensitivity to chemicals used to make latex products, rather than to rubber proteins. Chemical allergies can be triggered by both latex and non-latex gloves as both contain chemical accelerators, unless specifically formulated without. These gloves are termed “accelerator free” or gloves with “Low Dermatitis Potential” Dermatitis means skin inflammation. It is not a life-threatening allergy. Irritant Contact Dermatitis is a common reaction to natural rubber latex, but it is not an allergy. Irritant contact dermatitis is a red, itchy rash that breaks out where latex has touched your skin. It appears 12 to 24 hours after contact. Irritant contact dermatitis can be the result of frequent hand washing and incomplete drying, use of hand sanitizers, friction irritation from glove and or glove powder. In people with allergies, contact dermatitis can be a warning sign that latex allergy may develop. |
http://www.aafa.org/page/latex-allergy.aspx |
| Ambidextrous | Ambidextrous glove are designed so that they can be worn equally well on left and right hand. However compared to anatomical or hand specific gloves ambidextrous gloves are not as comfortable. Anatomical gloves have an forward plane thumb that reduces stress on the hand during extended use. | |
| Anatomical | A glove is called anatomical when there is one shape for the left hand and another for the right. Also called hand specific gloves. Anatomical gloves have an forward plane thumb that reduces stress on the hand during extended use. | |
| AQL | Acceptable Quality Limit (AQL): A statistical measurement of the maximum number of defective goods considered acceptable in a particular sample size. If the acceptable quality level (AQL) is not reached for a particular sampling of goods, manufacturers will review the various parameters in the production process to determine the areas causing the defects. | |
| Assembly | Gloves used during production assembly to prevent contamination of the product or to protect the user from mechanical or chemical risks | |
| ASTM | Originally called the “American Society for Testing Materials” in 1902, it became the “American Society for Testing and Materials” in 1961 before it changed its name to “ASTM International” in 2001 and added the tagline “Standards Worldwide”. ASTM International has offices in Belgium, Canada, China, Peru, and Washington, D.C | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASTM_International |
| ATBC | Acetyltributylcitrate is a non phthalate PVC Plasticiser used for making “Phthalate free” vinyl gloves | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetyltributylcitrate |
| Audit | When a notified body e.g. BSI, TÜV, SGS makes an audit/visit to a manufacturer to make sure that the manufacturer follows the standards and legislations including CSR | |
| Automotive | Gloves used in the Car industry to protect the user from chemicals and mechanical abrasions and the product from contamination from oils and other residues | |
| Barrier | Barrier refers to the potential of the glove to form a resistant path either from the user to the area of work or from the work environment to the user. During a surgical procedure for example pathogens must be blocked from the user to the patient but vice versa. | |
| Beaded | A glove bead refers to the rolling of the glove film at the edge of the cuff. The feature strengthens the glove and prevents tearing of the glove during use. This feature is critical in certain applications to prevent pieces of the glove contaminating the environment e.g. during a surgical operation or in production control | |
| Bill of exchange | Payment terms: Bill of exchange is a promise to pay at a later date, usually supported by a bank | |
| Bill of Lading | A detailed list of a ship’s cargo in the form of a receipt given by the master of the ship to the person consigning the goods. | |
| Breakthrough Time | The time in minutes for a chemical to permeate the glove film | |
| Carton | Another term for shipping case | |
| Cash account | Payment term Cash account: Account conducted on a cash basis, no credit given | |
| Catering | Term used for the food processing industry | |
| CBS | Payment terms CBS – Cash before shipment | |
| CFR | Incoterm CFR – Cost and Freight (named port of destination) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| Chemical Resistant | The ability of the glove to prevent chemicals permeating across the glove to the skin of the user | |
| Chemo | Shortened form for chemotherapy gloves. Gloves categorised for use in handling chemotherapy drugs (cytotoxic agents) have been tested for permeation of the drug over time. The permeation times can be included in a standard operating procedure to minimise risks associate with exposure to cytotoxic drugs | |
| Chlorinated | Makes it easier to put on and take off gloves, without increasing the thickness and without using powder. Reduces the allergy risk of natural latex gloves. | |
| Chlorination Or Chlorinated | Chlorination is an on-line or post production process that results in a glove that is easy to put on or take off without the use of powder lubricants. Combined with the use of polymer coatings and lubricants, chlorinated gloves have largely superseded production of older technology powdered gloves. The process uses chlorine (gas or chlorine chemical salt) that reduces the natural stickiness surface finish of a latex glove. In older style gloves powder was the lubricant used to reduce the stickiness and allow easy donning of the glove. However the powder used (USP grade corn starch) is implicated in medical related complications, allergic responses and product contamination. Most markets use powder free glove. | |
| CIA | Payment terms CIA: Cash in advance | |
| CIF | Incoterm CIF – Cost, Insurance & Freight (named port of destination) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| CIP | Incoterm CIP – Carriage and Insurance Paid to (named place of destination) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| Clean | Clean gloves fall into two categories; reduced particulate matter and potential for chemicals leaching from the glove contaminating products. | |
| Clean Room | Clean room gloves are produced to comply to the different clean room classes e.g. class 10 000. The gloves are extensively washed off-line, and then packed in plastic bags of 10 pcs -50 pcs. All this to ensure that the gloves do not contain any foreign material for critical use, such as pharma-process, electronic assembly etc | |
| COD | Payment term COD: Cash on delivery | |
| Comfort | Comfort of a glove is derived from a variety of glove features including; anatomical shape, elastic properties and modulus of the materials | |
| Compliance | Compliance to a standard does not necessarily mean the product has actually passed the standard or been certified by a notified body | |
| Compounding | Compounding is the process where raw materials are mixed prior to dipping gloves. This is a critical part of the manufacture of gloves and can impact the final product. For example the different compounding ingredients used in rubber latex can be grouped into curing agents, sulphur, accelerators, antioxidants, fillers, pigments, stabilisers, thickening and wetting agents, and other ingredients such as: heat sensitizers, plasticisers, viscosity modifiers, and so on. | |
| Condensation in FCL | Condensation is a usual topic when loading a FCL in South East Asia. Due to the climate in SEA there will be more or less condensation during transportation of the FCL. To avoid any condensation damaging the glove cartons, there are different ways of prevent damage. | |
| Conform | The ability of the glove to conform to the shape of the hand | |
| CPT | Incoterm CPT – Carriage Paid To (named place of destination) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| CSR | Corporate Social Responsibility audit ensures that the goods a company sell are made in safe working conditions, at fair rates of pay and respecting the basic human rights of those involved in production. | |
| Cytotoxic | Cytotoxic chemicals literally means toxic to cells. Cytotoxic drugs are used during chemotherapy (cancer treatment) and clinicians and pharmaceutical companies need a calibrated glove tested for permeation of these drugs through the glove films to manage risks around drug handling | |
| Damp Hand Donning | Donning gloves with wet hands is especially difficult unless the inside of the glove is treated with a special lubricant or polymer coating. Damp hand donning denotes a glove has specifically designed for donning damp hands | |
| DAP | Incoterm DAP – Delivered At Place (named place of destination) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| DAT | Incoterm DAT – Delivered At Terminal (named terminal at port or place of destination) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| DDP | Incoterm DDP – Delivered Duty Paid (named place of destination) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| DINCH | Di (isononyl) cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate is a non-phthalate ester plasticizer used to make phthalate free PVC gloves | |
| DINP | DINP (Diisononyl phthalate), and DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) sometimes known as DOP (di-octyl phthalate) are commonly used plasticizer from the phthalate ester family and have been in use in flexible PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) | |
| Donning | The process of putting on the glove. During surgical procedures a special protocol is used to don the glove under aseptic condition. Surgical gloves usually use a walleted system to facilitate this process. | |
| Elongation | The distance a glove can be stretched from its original length until it breaks – expressed in percentage, e.g., 800% | |
| EN | European Norm certification regulates compliances with the European Quality System Regulation (QSR). Relevant EN standards for gloves include: EN374-3 Resistance to chemical hazards (based on permeation), EN 455 Part 1, 2 and 3: Medical Gloves for single use, EN 455 – 1 Specification for freedom of holes (barrier properties), EN 455 – 2 Specification for physical properties, EN 455 – 3 Requirements and testing for biological evaluation (biological properties/labelling) | |
| EN374 | EN374 This PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) standard specifies the capability of gloves to protect the user against chemicals and/or micro-organisms. | |
| EN455 | EN 455 is the European Standard relating to single use medical gloves Split into 4 parts: Part 1: Requirements and testing for freedom from holes. Part 2: Requirements and testing for physical properties. Part 3: Requirements and testing for biological evaluation. Part 4: Requirements and testing for shelf life determination. |
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| EOM | Payment term EOM: End of month | |
| Examination | Examination or exam gloves is a generic term for gloves used in the medical industry. Exam glove are generally ambidextrous and dispensed from a “tissue box” type dispenser. Exam gloves must comply with the minimum requirements for EN455 for exam gloves | |
| EXW | Incoterm EXW – Ex Works (named place of delivery) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| FAS | Incoterm FAS – Free Alongside Ship (named port of shipment) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| FCA | Incoterm FCA – Free Carrier (named place of delivery) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| FCL | FCL means Full Container Load. There are 3 types of containers, 20 FCL, 40FCL and 40 FCL HC (High Cube) and this HC container can load approximately. 10% more cartons compared with a standard 40 FCL | |
| FDA | Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the American organisation responsible for the regulation of four directorates overseeing the core functions of the agency: Medical Products and Tobacco, Foods, Global Regulatory Operations and Policy, and Operations. | https://www.FDA.gov/ |
| FDA 510K | Pre-market medical device approval issued by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Required for a medical glove to be imported and marketed in the United States. | |
| FOB | Incoterm FOB – Free on Board (named port of shipment) | https://iccwbo.org/resources-for-business/incoterms-rules/incoterms-rules-2010/ |
| Food Processing | Food processing gloves typically use vinyl or nitrile gloves that may or may not have been tested for potential to leach chemicals from the glove. Vinyl is popular because of its cheaper costs. However the more robust nature of nitrile gloves may be more cost effective in the longer run without the need to double glove or change the glove so regularly. | |
| Force At Break | The force required to break a thin film sample in Newtons (N) For exam gloves the Force at break is regulated in EN455 and EN374. Nitrile and Latex gloves should have a Newton of min 6.0 and Vinyl gloves a min of 3.6N | |
| Former | A ceramic glove mould used on the manufacturing line. | |
| Gamma Radiation | Gamma radiation is a common sterilisation method to sterilise gloves. Other methods include electron beam and ethylene oxide (less common). Gamma radiation uses cobalt 60 gamma radiation as the source of radiation. Electron beam is increasing in popularity due to the higher degree of control it offer to not over exposure of the gloves to too much radiation | |
| Grammage | Most often refers to the weight of the glove in grams for size medium | |
| Hand Specific | Hand specific or anatomical gloves are designed to be worn on either right or left hand. Anatomical gloves are more comfortable compared to ambidextrous glove due to their forward plane thumb ball design. The shape of the glove is determined by the shape of the mould used to form them. Surgical gloves are commonly made using these kinds of formers. | |
| Hevea Brasiliensis | A perennial, evergreen tree, indigenous to Brazil and widely grown in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand; this tree is the source of 99% of the world’s natural rubber production. | |
| High Cube FCL | FCL means Full Container Load. There are 3 types of containers, 20 FCL, 40FCL and 40 FCL HC (High Cube) and this HC container can load approximately. 10% more cartons compared with a standard 40 FCL | |
| House Brand | House or Home brand refers to private labelled gloves. The brand is owned by a company that may or may not actually produce the glove. | |
| Hygiene | Conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness. Gloves specified for hygiene purposes may or may not comply to international standards for Medical or protective equipment | |
| Inco terms | The Incoterms rules or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) relating to international commercial law. They are widely used in International commercial transactions or procurement processes as the use in international sales is encouraged by trade councils, courts and international lawyers.[1] A series of three-letter trade terms related to common contractual sales practices, the Incoterms rules are intended primarily to clearly communicate the tasks, costs, and risks associated with the transportation and delivery of goods. | |
| Indigo | Dark blue / purple colour popular in a number of industries | |
| Inspection Level | The criteria that identifies the number of sample pieces to be inspected in a given lot. | |
| Irritation | Irritations associated with gloves can be caused by a number of factors including non-glove related issue; glove chemical, occlusion of the skin under the glove, hand washing and soaps, hand creams used with gloves, phycological stressor etc. Because of the multifactorial nature and compounding effect of this problems it is often difficult to pinpoint the actual cause of glove associated irritations. See Allergy | |
| ISO | International Standards Organization – ISO is an international organization composed of national standards bodies from over 75 countries. | |
| ISO 13485 | ISO 13485 is the Quality Management Systems for the production of Medical devices. It represents the requirements for a comprehensive quality management system for the design and manufacture of medical … | |
| ISO 9001:2000 | Quality Management System which specifies the audit requirements that will produce consistency in product quality; intended to meet or exceeds customer specifications; ultimately improving customer satisfaction. | |
| Janitorial | Janitorial glove a typically resistant to common cleaning products and certain mechanical stresses. Common glove materials used are Nitrile, Latex and Vinyl. | |
| Laboratory | Laboratory gloves typically are required to be resistant to chemical permeations. Glove selection needs to be done by considering the exposure risks the user will encounter and choosing an appropriate glove material combine with glove film formulations and thicknesses. Permeation testing for the chemicals of interest should be requested from the manufacturer | |
| Latex | An emulsion of rubber or plastic globules in water used in the manufacture of dipped glove products. Note that latex is a generic terms that includes latexes of Natural Rubber Latex (NRL), polyisoprene and Nitrile Butyl Rubber (NBR). The term Latex is often confused as being only related to NRL (Natural Rubber Latex) only which is not the case. | |
| Leaching | Leaching is the process gloves undergo post forming to remove excess chemicals from the glove. This process can be enhanced during the production of clean gloves to avoid contamination of products in the electronic industry for example | |
| Life Science | Life science industry encompasses laboratory, pharmaceutical and certain segments of the Healthcare markets. | |
| Loading (gloves) | The glove industry term for amount of glove cartons in a container. Depending on the dimensions of the glove dispensers and cartons, there will be different qty in a container. Low weight nitrile will have a higher qty in a container vs a High weight nitrile glove. Each glove type has a optimal box/case dimension, which will influence the loading qty into the container | |
| LOC | Payment terms Letter of credit: A documentary credit confirmed by a bank, often used for export. This is where a typically a bank guarantees payment on behalf of the buyer to the seller provided that stipulations are met. | |
| Low Dermatitis Potential | The FDA has established a testing regime for manufacturers to claim “Low Dermatitis Potential” for a particular glove product
Note that is a more stringent requirement over and above the claim of “accelerator free” gloves often made by manufacturers. If the glove passes the requirements for the claim of “low Dermatitis Potential” it validates the product has reduced potential for sensitizing users to chemical additives. The testing validates a glove not cause dermatitis within certain parameters. Supporting test data required to pass this test: • A negative skin sensitization test (Modified Draize-95 Test) on a minimum of 200 non-sensitized human subjects |
https://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ucm073792.htm |
| Malaysia | Malaysia is the worlds largest producer of thin film dipped glove products | |
| MDD | The Medical Device Directive (MDD) is intended to harmonise the laws relating to medical devices within the European Union. Products conforming with the MD Directive must have a CE mark applied. | http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/european-standards/harmonised-standards |
| Mechanic | Mechanical gloves typically need to be resistant to mechanical stresses and also resistant to oils. Nitrile is the material of choice as both Natural rubber latex and vinyl glove (PVC) degrade significantly upon exposure to oils | |
| Medical | Medical glove are used in a variety of conditions and ranging requirements. All glove materials are used in the Medical industry NRL, NBR, PVC, polyisoprene and Polychloroprene | |
| Mil | Mil is an imperial unit of distance measurement equal to 1 thousandth of an inch (2.54cm). Mils is predominantly used in North America to define the thickness of a glove. The unit of measure used within the EU is predominantly millimetres (mm). Gloves are measured typically at 3 points on the glove: fingertip (1.5cm from the end of the finger), palm and cuff (1.5cm from the cuff end or rolled bead | |
| Modulus | Within the glove industry modulus refers to the modulus of elasticity. The modulus of elasticity of a material is a measure of its “stiffness or softness”. It is equal to the stress applied to it divided by the resulting elastic strain. | |
| Monomer | A single molecule that has the ability to combine with identical or similar molecules, in a process also known as polymerization. An example used in the glove industry is the monomer Isoprene (synthetically produced or derived from natural rubber latex) which is then polymerised during production resulting in thin films of polyisoprene | |
| MPa – Mega Pascals | Unit measure of pressure used to report tensile testing within the EN (European) standards. North America uses pounds per square inch (psi) within ASTM standards. The two units of measure are not directly convertible by factoring. | |
| Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) | Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) is the raw material used in latex glove and is derived from the sap of the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. Other forms of NRL exist but are rarely used such as the sap from certain cactus. NRL gloves offer excellent flexibility and conformance to the hand shape and are very comfortable to wear. This natural elastomer polymer offers good mechanical performance, even with minimal thickness. In particular, it has good tear and puncture resistance, and it offers good resistance to numerous acids, alkalis, and ketones. In certain rare cases, the proteins found in natural latex can cause allergic reactions. In this event, the use of synthetic materials is recommended for sensitised users. These synthetic materials include nitrile, neoprene, polyisoprene or vinyl gloves. Natural latex is not recommended for use in contact with oils, greases, petroleum products, strong oxidising acids and aromatic or chlorinated solvents. The properties of natural latex can be deteriorated by prolonged exposure to light, UV or ozone. | http://www.lgm.gov.my/ |
| Neoprene | Neoprene is Dupont’s brand name for the generic chemical polychloroprene rubber. This product is derived purely from petroleum (synthetic) and is used as a raw material for polychloroprene gloves. Polychloroprene has good elastomeric properties (not as good as NRL or polyisoprene) and has excellent chemical resistance acids, alkalis, oils, greases, alcohols, petroleum products, ketones, aliphatic solvents and numerous industrial gases and vapours). Gloves made from polychloroprene provide an alternative for individual allergic to natural rubber latex | http://www.dupont.com/products-and-services/plastics-polymers-resins/elastomers.html |
| Net | Net normally denotes the payment terms after invoicing date e.g. Net 7 – Payment seven days after invoice date. When there is a high level of trust between manufacturer and buyer the period of time after invoicing can be set to any agreed time but typically ranges from 30-90 days | |
| Newton (N) | Unit of measure of force. Force at break of a glove is measured in Newtons (N) within the European standards | |
| Nitrile (NBR) | Nitrile or Acrylo nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) is a synthetic elastomer material extracted from petroleum (synthetic) used in glove manufacturing. Increasingly used for the production of exam glove, Nitrile is a good alternative to natural rubber latex glove. It is free from natural rubber latex proteins and eliminates a cause of type I hypersensitivity anaphylaxis shock. In addition nitrile offers very good resistance to oils, greases and hydrocarbon derivatives, as well as aromatic or chlorinated solvents. Nitrile also gives excellent abrasion and puncture resistance. More modern formulations of nitrile offer accelerator free options which provides “low potential for dermatitis” to individuals sensitive to type IV allergic reactions. Note, that nitrile is not recommended for prolonged contact with ketones, strong oxidising acids, esters or aldehydes | |
| Notified Body | An international testing organization that conducts testing and certifies company entities to various standards e.g. SATRA, TUV, BSI | https://www.satra.com/about/ https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/ https://www.tuv.com/usa/en/ |
| NRL (Natural Rubber Latex) | Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) is the raw material used in latex glove and is derived from the sap of the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. Other forms of NRL exist but are rarely used such as the sap from certain cactus. NRL gloves offer excellent flexibility and conformance to the hand shape and are very comfortable to wear. This natural elastomer polymer offers good mechanical performance, even with minimal thickness. In particular, it has good tear and puncture resistance, and it offers good resistance to numerous acids, alkalis, and ketones. In certain rare cases, the proteins found in natural latex can cause allergic reactions. In this event, the use of synthetic materials is recommended for sensitised users. These synthetic materials include nitrile, neoprene, polyisoprene or vinyl gloves. Natural latex is not recommended for use in contact with oils, greases, petroleum products, strong oxidising acids and aromatic or chlorinated solvents. The properties of natural latex can be deteriorated by prolonged exposure to light, UV or ozone. | |
| Packing efficiency | This term relates to the number of gloves contained per dispenser box and shipping carton. This measure impacts upon Loading. See loading for further details. | |
| Payment terms | The financial agreements between the seller and buyer declaring when and how the goods shall be paid. | |
| Permeation Time | The time taken for the chemical to penetrate the glove at a molecular level. | |
| Phthalate (Plasticiser) | Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to plasticise PVC resulting in a highly flexible material. PVC in its unplastized form is a rigid brittle plastic. This group of chemicals includes DINP (Diisononyl phthalate), and DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) sometimes known as DOP (di-octyl phthalate) . Their use has been implicated in some diseases and their application in gloves is on the decline as a result. Extensive testing by both American and European scientific bodies however has yet to prove and conclusive evidence of their use in medical products including gloves. Phthalate free PVC glove alternatives are now available which use a different class of plasticisers such as DINP and DINCH | |
| PIA | Payment term PIA: Payment in advance | |
| Pin Hole | Minute holes that cannot be detected by eye that can result from poor processing found in a glove. AQL for this criteria is specified in EN and ASTM standards and is tested for during production with water tightness testing | |
| Plasticiser | Chemicals used during the production of vinyl gloves to make the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is a rigid plastic more flexible. These chemicals fall into two groups from a user safety point of view; phthalates and non phthalates. The safety of phthalates has been in question for many years and production of phthalate free alternatives such as DINCH, DINP is increasing. See Phthalate for more information. | |
| Polychloroprene | Generic chemical name for Dupont Neoprene brand | |
| Polyisoprene | Polyisoprene is the main chemical in Natural Rubber latex. However synthetic processes have become popular because of the risk of type I allergy to NRL proteins. Synthetic polyisoprene carries no risk of Type I allergy as it contains no natural rubber latex proteins. | |
| Polymer | A polymer chain of many monomers. An example is the natural rubber latex monomer (Isoprene) that is polymerised during the vulcanisation process to produce naturally derived polyisoprene elastomer films. The synthetic form of polyisoprene is derived from petroleum and contains no NRL proteins | |
| Polymer Coating | A non chlorinated process, using polymer material for both inside and outside surfaces of a glove, to achieve a powder free non sticky surface finish. Can be single side or double sided (inside and out) resulting in a “sandwich construction” of polymer coating – elastomer – polymer coating | |
| Polymerization | A chemical reaction in which two or more molecules, or monomers, combine to form larger molecules, or polymers. | |
| Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) | PVC, or polyvinyl chloride in its plasticised form is an inexpensive elastomer used for undemanding situations such as the food industry. PVC gloves provides good resistance to numerous acids and alkalis. PVC gloves do not contain protein allergens or accelerators so is well-tolerated by users with allergy or irritation issues. PVC gloves are not recommended for situations where they may come into contact with chemical solvents (ketones, alkanes, etc.). Contact with these products leads to the extraction of the plasticisers, and, as a result, the glove stiffens. PVC gloves must not be used for handling hot parts (>80°C), to avoid their deterioration. Historically the plasticiser used in PVC gloves (needed for flexibility) have been from the group called phthalates. Phthalate have been implicated with certain diseases and their use is diminishing to phthalate free alternatives such as DINP and DINCH. | |
| Powdered | Older gloves types that use USP grade corn starch powder as a lubricant making it easier to put gloves on and take them off. Powder is know to cause granuloma complications during surgical procedures and may be a contributing factor producing allergic reactions to gloves. Most developed markets for gloves have made a switch to Powder free alternative to eliminate these know issues. | |
| PPE | Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The EN standard for the suitability of gloves is EN374 | |
| Private Label | Private Label are House or Home brand gloves owned by a company that may or may not actually produce the glove. | |
| Protein | Normally refers to the proteins associated with natural rubber latex. Some individuals are hypersensitive to this protein (similar to peanut allergy for example) and may cause life threatening anaphylaxis short in these individuals | |
| PSI – Pounds Per Square Inch | Unit measure of pressure used to report tensile testing. ASTM (American) uses this measure whilst EN standards use Map (mega pascals) | |
| PVC – Poly Vinyl Chloride | PVC, or polyvinyl chloride in its plasticised form is an inexpensive elastomer used for undemanding situations such as the food industry. PVC gloves provides good resistance to numerous acids and alkalis. PVC gloves do not contain protein allergens or accelerators so is well-tolerated by users with allergy or irritation issues. PVC gloves are not recommended for situations where they may come into contact with chemical solvents (ketones, alkanes, etc.). Contact with these products leads to the extraction of the plasticisers, and, as a result, the glove stiffens. PVC gloves must not be used for handling hot parts (>80°C), to avoid their deterioration. Historically the plasticiser used in PVC gloves (needed for flexibility) have been from the group called phthalates. Phthalate have been implicated with certain diseases and their use is diminishing to phthalate free alternatives such as DINP and DINCH. | |
| QA | Quality Assurance | |
| Residue | Refers to residue that may be left on the hands following wearing of the glove | |
| Shelf Life | The time after manufacture where the glove have been tested as still meeting standards. Often for gloves this is 3-5 years | |
| Shipping Case | The outer shipping case used to contain the glove dispensers. Glove dispensers typically may be cardboard box tissue types or plastic (poly) bags. | |
| Sourcing | The process to identify qualified manufacturers capable to produce on time deliveries to specified parameters | |
| SPC – Statistical Process Control | The application of statistical techniques to control a process. | |
| Surface Texture | Glove outer surfaces can either be smooth or textured to facilitate grip. The gloves can either be fully textured or texture can be limited to fingertips and palm. Texturing patterns can range from a “bisque” finish (micro texturing) to fully featured “bumps” of various shapes. Grip is an important feature of the glove and grips have been adapted for use in a variety of applications from handling wet glassware through to fine surgical suture work to operating machinery in oily environments. | |
| Synthetic | Within a glove context synthetic refers to non-latex gloves namely nitrile, PVC, synthetic polyisoprene and polychloroprene. All synthetic polymers are derived from petroleum and contain no natural rubber latex proteins which are responsible for type I allergies. | |
| Teal | Light green / turquois colour. This colour is popular within some PPE markets | |
| Tensile | A measure of force at break per square area of material – expressed in mega-pascals (MPa) or pounds per square inch (PSI). | |
| Texture | Glove outer surfaces can either be smooth or textured to facilitate grip. The gloves can either be fully textured or texture can be limited to fingertips and palm. Texturing patterns can range from a “bisque” finish (micro texturing) to fully featured “bumps” of various shapes. Grip is an important feature of the glove and grips have been adapted for use in a variety of applications from handling wet glassware through to fine surgical suture work to operating machinery in oily environments. | |
| Touch | Sense of touch whilst wearing a glove is compromised and influenced by glove conformance, modulus and texturing predominantly | |
| Ultrabloq | House brand owned by 4S HBM | |
| Vinyl | The shortened form of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) | |
| Visual Defects | Surface defects visible to the naked eye, e.g., non removable dirt, stain, holes, defective beading, pleating. | |
| Vitryl | A blend of material Vinyl and Nitrile | |
| Vulcanize | The process of treating rubber latex emulsions with sulphur at high heat to improve elasticity and strength or to harden the material. | |
| Watertight Test | The test utilized to pass or fail for the presence of pinholes. The glove is filled with a certain head pressure of water and holes are detected by observing for leaks |