There are currently three main types of cleanroom gloves:
Latex gloves: Made primarily from natural rubber tree sap combined with stabilizers through specific manufacturing processes. They offer excellent flexibility and comfort but have poor antistatic properties; the presence of latex proteins can easily trigger allergic reactions in workers. While cost-effective, they suffer from poor ESD performance, high extractable ion content, and the potential to cause allergies and dermatitis due to proteins.
Vinyl gloves (PVC gloves): Manufactured using the synthetic material PVC combined with catalysts and other chemical additives through specific processes. They offer good water and corrosion resistance but lack elasticity and comfort. Although inexpensive, residual catalysts can cause allergies and dermatitis; furthermore, they have poor stretchability, are prone to tearing, lack durability against certain corrosives, generate particles easily, and exhibit high levels of ions and non-volatile residues (NVR).
Nitrile gloves: Made from a synthetic polymer composed of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and carboxylic acid. They feature excellent chemical, puncture, and abrasion resistance, making them suitable for most cleanroom environments, including the semiconductor, photovoltaic, food processing, chemical laboratory, and medical industries. Being protein-free, they do not cause allergies or dermatitis and are resistant to chemical solvents. Their mechanical properties, ESD performance, NVR, extractable ion content, and LPC (Liquid Particle Count) levels are superior to those of latex and PVC gloves; patented Sterling technology allows them to combine protective qualities with comfort comparable to latex. However, they come at a higher cost.
Additionally, the market offers specialized product lines developed from these base materials, such as cleanroom-grade PVC gloves, low-chloride series, antistatic series, and extended/thickened glove series.
In terms of length, common specifications include 9-inch, 12-inch, and 16-inch options; the 16-inch extended version covers up to the elbow, making it suitable for high-risk operational scenarios.
