Product Information

By following three basic steps and using the technical data provided by Ansell, the guess-work is taken out of selecting the right glove:


Step 1 - Which glove compound?

Step 2 - Which glove construction

Step 3 - Which glove option?

Step 1 - Which glove compound?

Specware™ addresses the first and most critical step in selection an appropriate glove.  Which is to determine which glove compound or material is suitable for a particular chemical.   Our SpecWare™ chemical handling guide will recommend a glove that will safely handle specific chemicals by providing permeation and degradation resistance information.

Step 2 - Which glove construction?

A glove’s chemical resistance performance will be influenced by the nature of the job. If a glove tears or cuts easily, it will not provide adequate chemical protection.

The next step in the selection process is to evaluate the job to be performed and consider whether you will need a disposable, a unsupported or a supported glove.

The more commonly used gloves in chemical handling applications are unsupported, and supported gloves. Both types will provide similar chemical protection, as the thickness of the compound, the critical element in chemical protection, is often similar. Abrasion and cut resistance, two other important considerations, can also be similar. The main difference is that supported gloves have a cotton liner that makes the overall glove thicker and gives it more structural strength and resistance to tearing. Disposable gloves are designed for extremely lightweight applications. More information on each glove type is below:

Disposable gloves are very thin, and, as the name suggests, are not designed for long-term use. Should only be used for basic chemical protection and are designed for very light duty work where frequent changes will occur. Splash protection (for suitable chemicals) is a good example of where a disposable glove may be used. Refer to  SpecWare™, which contains chemical resistance specifically for disposables.

Unsupported gloves are more suitable for a wide range of applications. ‘Unsupported’ simply means they don’t have an internal material lining. They are designed this way to allow for good dexterity, tactility and flexibility. They are more suited, for example, to applications that require the handling of small components. The external compound of a glove determines chemical resistance, so the absence of a cotton lining will have no impact on its chemical permeation performance.

Supported gloves will contain a liner, usually made from knitted cotton, to give the glove a stronger construction for more heavy-duty work. This internal liner makes the glove thicker overall and is designed to provide more strength, not necessarily more chemical resistance. While Supported gloves are less dexterous and flexible than Unsupported gloves, they are generally stronger and with the cotton liner can provide more comfort and sweat absorption.

As part of European Std EN388, each of our products is tested for ‘mechanical hazards’ performance, which is a useful tool for glove selection. This measures performance in critical areas such as abrasion, cut, tear and puncture resistance. The results for each product are shown below a ‘mechanical hazards’ icon in the product section. The four numbers relate to the gloves resistance to abrasion, cut,  tear and puncture. All ratings have a maximum score of 4, except cut resistance, which is based on a maximum of 5. The higher the score, the more resistance the glove will offer in that area. Use the Mechanical Hazards ratings to ensure the construction of the glove will support its chemical resistance performance.

If any of the gloves you are currently using don’t have this, it means they are not Standards approved and could be dangerous.

Step 3 - Which glove option?

Ansell’s range of chemical resistant gloves offer a range of options. These include variations in length, thickness, grip pattern, lining, color and size. You can choose from these options to ensure optimal suitability of the glove tothe application.

Select a product of interest from the Chemical Resistant Gloves category: