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Health & Safety Network Conservation Wiki

Copyright: 2024. The Health & Safety Wiki pages are a publication of the Health & Safety Network of the American Institute for Conservation.

Some of the information included on this wiki may be out of date, particularly with regard to toxicological data and regulatory standards. Also, because new information on safety issues is continually published, resources outside of AIC should be consulted for more specific information.

Contributors: Kerith Koss Schrager; Erin Jue

PPE Chemical Protective Material Selection Guide[edit | edit source]

Recommendations from Forsberg, K and Mansdorf, SZ. 2007. Quick Selection Guide to Chemical Protective Clothing, 5th Edition. New Jersey: Wiley& Sons Inc .

The following chart is intended to help conservators select the appropriate material for chemicals commonly used in conservation. As one can see, no single type of glove is perfect for all solvents. The SDS for the chemicals being used should be reviewed to assess risk for chemical exposure. As always, prudent health and safety practices should always be observed to provide a safe working environment. See Chemical Protective Gloves for more information on selecting gloves, glove types and how to use chemical resistance charts.

Please note that this guide represents the safest materials for both immersion and incidental contact based on results from continuous chemical contact. Therefore, while the chart may indicate thata certain material is rated fair or poor, this rating may not be indicative of splash resistance, or reflect the effectiveness of a particular brand or trade name product. The manufacturer's recommendations also should be consulted when selecting the suitable material, particularly when the gloved hands will be immersed in the chemical.

Recommendations are based on resistance to chemical breakthrough under conditions of continuous contact:

VG = Recommended (> 8 hours of resistance)
G = Recommended (4- 8 hours of resistance)
F = Use with caution (1-4 hours of resistance)
P = Not Recommended (< 1 hour of resistance)
* = Not Tested

Glove Materials
Rubber = Natural Rubber/Latex
PE = polyethylene
PVAL = polyvinyl alcohol
PVC = polyvinylchloride
Silver Shield = North Silver Shield® laminate of polyamide/ethylene vinyl acetate/polyethylene plastic films

Recommendations are not valid for very thin Natural Rubber, Neoprene, Nitrile and PVC gloves(0.3mm or less).

Chemical	Butyl	Rubber	Neoprene	Nitrile	PE	PVAL	PVC	Silver Shield
Acetic acid	VG	P	F	P	P	P	P	VG
Acetone	VG	P	P	P	P	P	P	VG
Ammonium carbonate	*	VG	VG	VG	*	*	*	*
Ammonium hydroxide (30-70%)	VG	P	G	G	P	P	F	*
Aniline	VG	P	P	P	P	VG	P	VG
Benzene	P	P	P	P	P	VG	P	VG
Benzyl alcohol	VG	P	F	G	*	P	P	VG
Calcium hydroxide	*	*	VG	VG	VG	*	*	*
Citric acid(30-70%)	VG	VG	VG	VG	VG	P	VG	*
Ethyl acetate	F	P	P	P	P	G	P	VG
Ethanol	VG	P	G	F	F	P	P	VG
Ethylene glycol	VG	VG	VG	VG	VG	F	VG	VG
Ferric chloride	*	*	VG	VG	*	P	G	*
Formic acid(>70%)	VG	P	VG	F	P	P	G	F
Glycerin/Glycerol	VG	VG	VG	VG	*	*	VG	VG
Hydrochloric acid (<30%)	VG	VG	VG	VG	F	P	G	G
Hydrofluoric acid (30-70%)	VG	F	VG	P	F	P	F	G
Hydrogen peroxide (30-70%)	VG	VG	VG	VG	VG	P	G	G
Iodine,solid	VG	*	VG	VG	G	*	*	*
Isooctane	P	P	F	VG	*	G	P	*
Isopropanol	VG	P	VG	VG	P	P	F	VG
Chemical	Butyl	Rubber	Neoprene	Nitrile	PE	PVAL	PVC	Silver Shield
Methanol	VG	P	F	P	P	P	P	F
Methylcellosolve(methyl glycol)	VG	P	P	P	*	P	P	G
Methylene chloride	P	P	P	P	P	VG	P	G
Methyl ethyl ketone	G	P	P	P	P	P	P	VG
Methyl methacrylate	F	P	P	P	P	VG	P	VG
Naphthalene	P	P	P	P	*	*	P	*
Naphtha,15-20% aromatics , (Mineral spirits)	P	P	F	VG	P	G	F	VG
Naphtha,<30%aromatics, (Petroleum benzine/VM&P)	P	P	P	G	*	G	P	*
Nitric acid(30-70%)	VG	P	VG	P	G	P	F	G
o-Toluidine	VG	*	F	*	P	*	P	VG
Oxalic acid(<30%)	VG	VG	VG	VG	*	P	VG	VG
Petroleum ether, <1% aromatics	P	P	P	VG	P	*	P	VG
Phenol(>70%)	VG	P	F	P	P	F	P	G
Phosphoric acid (>70%)	VG	VG	VG	VG	VG	P	VG	VG
Potassium hydroxide	VG	VG	VG	VG	*	P	VG	G
Propanol	VG	P	G	G	*	P	F	G
Sodium hydroxide	*	*	*	*	VG	*	*	*
Sodium thiosulfate	VG	VG	VG	VG	*	*	VG	*
Stoddard solvent	P	P	F	VG	*	G	P	*
Sulfuric acid(30-70%)	VG	VG	VG	F	VG	P	VG	VG
Tetrahydrofuran	P	P	P	P	P	F	P	VG
Toluene	P	P	P	P	P	VG	P	VG
Trichloroethylene	P	P	P	P	P	VG	P	VG
Triethanolamine	VG	F	G	F	*	*	F	G
Turpentine	P	P	P	F	*	G	P	VG
Xylene	P	P	P	P	P	VG	P	VG
Chemical	Butyl	Rubber	Neoprene	Nitrile	PE	PVAL	PVC	Silver Shield

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