Inferior nitrile gloves – What should the user pay attention to?

In pandemic times, all kinds of soldiers of fortune suddenly appear out of nowhere and offer examination gloves to the baffled customers at incredible (cheap) prices. Since the low purchase price is always a strong argument, a surprising number of buyers buy such goods. But what about the quality of the gloves? Usually the disappointment follows shortly after the purchase.

Comparable to how decision-makers fall for inferior and counterfeit protective products out of ignorance is comparable to the widely known situation with Corona respirators. Here, due to the scarce supply at the beginning of 2020, the door was open to any fraud. Inferior masks, made of unsuitable material without any experience, were produced, not only in China, but also in Europe (often with forged certificates). Sooner or later, the quality defects of the unsuitable products came to light. The ensuing disaster and the hangover can be read in many publications. Does the same adversity now have to happen with examination gloves? In the following, the problem will be discussed in more detail, especially with nitrile gloves.

The American company Best (now part of Showa) is considered a pioneer in the development of high-quality disposable gloves based on nitrile ("N-Dex"). Although N-Dex held a market-leading position for a long time, it was mainly the increased pressure from other market participants on the largest market segment in terms of volume at the time, the manufacturers of disposable gloves based on natural latex, that led to the innovation in nitrile gloves. Of the large number of companies launched at that time, only a few (dozen) of hundreds remain. The reason for this is the need to develop sophisticated, high-quality technology, a high need for investment in production and later also the need for increasingly challenging cost management and automation.

What is the significance of the technology in the current nitrile glove market offering?

Short answer: a very big one! Demand has skyrocketed. This has led to a number of suppliers pushing into the market with inferior technology and consequently to poor-quality gloves. The assumption is that the gloves have at least not been subjected to the quality control required by the relevant standards. Often, the simple explanation for this is that the new entrants simply lack the technological experience to produce high-quality gloves. These technically inferior nitrile gloves are then sold in markets where quality doesn't seem to matter, but the low price does.

Does the quality of raw materials affect the quality of the gloves?

Short answer: yes, to a large extent! Nitrile butyl rubber in the form of a dispersion is the raw material from which nitrile gloves are made. Due to the huge demand for nitrile gloves, the price of this crucial raw material has also risen significantly. It is understandable that inexperienced manufacturers are looking for ways out here. It can be observed that a first, apparent way out is to replace the high-quality nitrile suitable for gloves with inferior nitrile for cost reasons, either completely or at least partially. This is often done by adding other, cheaper polymers. In addition, for cost reasons, silica and calcareous filling materials are regularly used by the new low-cost suppliers, which reduces the nitrile content. Even an unbiased user will very quickly realize that the necessary protective effect of the glove is never achieved. Gloves no longer meet the basic requirement, namely that of barrier effect. Gloves tear more easily, often just when you put them on. In short, the gloves no longer serve the purpose for which they were purchased, on the contrary, they endanger the user. Who would like to expose themselves to an infection in Corona times out of negligence and ignorance, and that just because a product is a little cheaper?

Fake certificates and other scams. What to do?

Once you have purchased a suspicious product, it is usually too late. However, checking the certificates provides important clues to avoid future errors. In the event of a suspicion, asking the holder of the certificate will provide clarification. The origin of the scams usually lies in the well-known manufacturing countries in the Far East. In addition to goods that are already inferior in themselves, so-called "B-goods" are repackaged and fraudulently provided with certificates from brand manufacturers. Names of a well-known selection of nitrile gloves with fake certificates are: Panyos, Pure Glove, Vasco Guard and many more. One can only say here: Hands off such suspicious products as well as those known to be counterfeit.

Gloves made of mixtures of vinyl (i.e. PVC) with a medium, but often only a "homeopathic" proportion of nitrile are also offered as "nitrile gloves". These gloves have nothing to do with the branded nitrile gloves and sellers are more likely to deceive the user. However, every glove expert knows that vinyl gloves, unlike nitrile gloves, are unsuitable for handling oily foods, for example. Even a certain nitrile addition to the vinyl does not change this fact. Such gloves are also completely unsuitable for the sale of pastries (often fatty). The plasticizer, which is always present in the vinyl content of such gloves for technical reasons, would migrate into the fat of the pastry on contact and consequently deprive the glove of its suitability for such applications on food.

Note: nevertheless, vinyl gloves (which are completely unsuitable for such applications) are mainly seen in bakery outlets.

What can you rely on?

Gloves from well-known manufacturers in their original packaging are the only safe solution. Many years of experience in rubber technology already give a clear signal here. As an example (among others) the company Semperit should be mentioned here. They have 200 years of experience in rubber technology and 100 years of experience in glove manufacturing. It is understandable that such a brand supplier with its own production of nitrile gloves for the medical and industrial sectors does not compromise on quality. Gloves meet the highest quality standards through permanent quality control. Constant new and further developments ensure the safety that the user expects. Everyone will understand that for branded products, price cannot be the only decision criterion, but also quality. Prices may be slightly higher than for no-name products, but quality products give the user the security he needs and deserves. Buy branded products in their original packaging!