Gloves for protection from epoxy?

General Composites Discussions Equipment Talk
#1

I just experienced a xkcd “duty calls” moment (http://xkcd.com/386/). Except I don’t know how to fix it.

I have high sensitivity towards epoxy resin systems (get a bad rash and hands swell up). It even happened through gloves.

So I replaced the gloves with thick and long hazardous material ones. But they’re too bulky.

Which gloves are appropriate for epoxy? Vinyl, latex, natural rubber, neoprene, butyl?

Now here’s the fun part:
[ul]
[li]http://www.aps.anl.gov/Safety_and_Training/User_Safety/gloveselection.html – says all of the above are “Very Good”, which is rubbish[/li][li]http://www.dermnet.org.nz/dermatitis/epoxy-allergy.html – only “nitrile rubber or nitrile butatoluene gloves”[/li][li]http://www.yenra.com/vinyl-nitrile-gloves/ – only latex[/li][li]http://www.charlesriverrc.org/articles/construction/epoxygloves.htm – definitely not latex! only vinyl[/li][/ul]

This is the point where I will give up on the wide internet and turn to all of you :slight_smile:

Any insight which to use (for full systems - not resins or hardeners separately)?

(Other measures are: partial avoidance, barrier creams and good masks against fumes… but they’re nothing without gloves.)

#2

Only heavy Butyl glove can effectively protect you from epoxies. Epoxy will migrate through latex or nytrile glove in less then 5 minutes (well the epoxies I used). Best thing would be wear a cotton glove, over it 2 pair of nytrile glove. If you touch the expoxy with your outter glove, remove it and put a new pair on. Never touch epoxy, with ot without latex or nytrile glove.

Just my 2c

#3

with tooling epoxy I get the same thing but worse even if I dont get any on me, it trully sucks. I would say wear a vapor respirator and see if that helps, just breathing that in can cause a allergic reaction on your hands. Also search around for different epoxies and use slower hardeners as they are less aggresive . you should be able to find epoxies that do not bother you. I have delt with it for over 10 years now.

#4

Epoxy just gets everywhere though. Because I pour my epoxy its all over my canister, over my tools, work surface, cups and inevitably I end up brushing a little bit on myself. It’s quite frustrating

#5

I do not have any problem with epoxy getting on my skin but obviously i dont want to let it get the better of me.

Now i have tried latex and nitril gloves and both just break down really quick, i can remember reading somewhere about vinyl gloves being the best. is this true?

#6

NO only heavy butyl glove.