Is a Rubber Glove a Rubber Glove? The Science Behind Protection Gloves

To many people, a rubber glove is nothing more than that: a rubber glove. Those who work in ESD-safe environments, though, know rubber gloves are much more than basic disposable hand coverings designed by engineering-school dropouts. Here is a look at some of the science that goes into the high-tech rubber gloves sold by Kimco Distributing Corp.

Latex is Long-Gone

Many rubber gloves are still made from latex, but most high-tech gloves are now composed from a nitrile. Nitriles, which are organic compounds, are less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Because everyone can wear nitrile gloves, but not latex ones, nitrile is becoming the material of choice.

ESD-Safe Rubber Gloves

Kimco Distributors carries rubber gloves designed for use in disk-drive assembly, computer repair and controlled-enviornment manufacturing. In these environments, even a minor static charge can have devastating effects on equipment and parts. When worn with a grounding strap, Kimco Distributing Corporation’s ESD-safe nitrile gloves help prevent an electric discharge. Because they can be worn in any situation, ESD-safe rubber gloves are especially useful for on-site repair, where the environment cannot be completely controlled.

Millimeters Matter

The engineers designing rubber gloves for computer manufacturing must create the thinnest gloves possible. Employees who work with miniscule electronic parts must rely on their sense of touch, which must not be dulled by a rubber glove. Kimco Distributing stocks rubber gloves that are just 6 mm thick. Gloves this thin afford an excellent sense of touch, without risking an electric shock.

These are just three of the considerations that go into designing rubber gloves. In addition to these factors, Kimco Distributors have gloves with textured finger tips and palms, which provide superior grip, ventilate backs and fingercots. With all of these variations, a rubber glove is not just a rubber glove. A rubber glove is an engineering feat.