What Are Gloves Made Of? A Breakdown of Latex, Nitrile, Vinyl, and PVC

What are gloves made of? Okay, this seems like an easy question, right? After all, disposable gloves are basically sold by what they are made of: Latex, Nitrile, or Vinyl. However, looking closer reveals specific information about exactly what these materials are and how they are formulated.

1. Latex Gloves

Latex is fundamentally natural rubber. The minor differences between pure natural rubber and latex involve chemical compounds added to the liquid rubber sap during processing. These additives enhance natural rubber's ability to maintain "solid surface tension" while being stretched so that holes do not appear, while also boosting resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Special dyes are also added while the latex remains in a liquid state.

While these chemical additives are generally non-allergenic, some individuals develop allergies specifically to natural rubber proteins, leading them to switch to alternative materials like nitrile or vinyl.

2. Nitrile Gloves

Nitrile is a co-polymer composed of butadiene and acrylonitrile. The nitrile used in gloves features a relatively high acrylo content, making the resulting material extremely resistant to petroleum-based oils and hydrocarbon fuels. Acrylonitrile is produced in volume via ammoxidation using the oxidation of propylene in the presence of ammonia and a custom catalyst that modifies final properties. Additionally, nitrile offers much higher puncture resistance than standard latex.

3. Vinyl and PVC Gloves

Vinyl and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) are essentially made of the same substances, with PVC being a petroleum-based product. Hundreds of different PVC formulations exist, often designated with "pf" prefixes. Chemical engineers dedicate extensive research to developing new formulas that yield unique properties, such as planar tensile strength and compressive redactability, alongside external chemical resistance.

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