Effects of collection medium on permeation test for chemical protective gloves

The permeation resistance of neoprene gloves to N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and methyl ethylketone (MEK) was conducted using the ASTM F739 test method. The permeability coefficients and standardized breakthrough time were found to be significantly different (p < 0.05) between the collection media of deionized water, methanol, ethanol, acetone, and IPA. Back diffusion of acetone collected into the neoprene sample would diminish the permeation resistance of DMF and MEK. The simulation results implied that the collection by ethanol, water, and IPA may have a low capacity for the permeated DMF. Methanol is the preferred collection medium for testing of DMF and MEK permeation through neoprene. The effects of the collection medium on permeation tests cannot be neglected in a closed-loop system. In this study, solubility parameter theory served as a basic interpretation for the permeation results. However, permeation resistance to challenge mixtures should be tested using the real constituents.