The Dual Impact of Puncture and Biaxial Stretch on the Barrier Integrity of Disposable Medical Gloves
Faculty Mentor
Jhy-Charm Soo
Location
Russell Union Ballroom
Type of Research
Completed
Session Format
Poster Presentation
College
Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Department
Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA 2 Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physics, College of Science and Mathematics, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
Abstract
Protecting healthcare workers from harmful chemicals and germs depends on the strength of their medical gloves. Standard tests do not always reflect how gloves perform when stretched or punctured during real work. This study measured how well three common glove materials, latex, nitrile, and vinyl, keep out fluids when they are stretched and punctured with holes. Using a modified testing apparatus , glove pieces were tested both flat and stretched by 20% using a custom 3D-printed dome. Following ASTM F1670 test parameters, glove specimens were mounted in a modified ASTM F903 test cell apparatus (Soo et al., 2024). Gloves were tested flat and biaxially stretched by 20% using a custom 3D-printed domed screen. Each specimen was challenged with fluorescein solution following the pressure sequence: 0 kPa for 5 minutes, 13.8 kPa for 1 minute, then 0 kPa for 54 minutes. After exposure, samples were analyzed using a spectrofluorometer (Shimadzu RF-6000, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan) to quantify dye penetration. After testing 273 samples, we found that punctures were the biggest cause of glove failure (P< 0.0001). While all gloves leaked once punctured, the amount of leakage varied by material (P = 0.00002). The measured concentrations were: logC vinyl (5.945ppm) for vinyl, logC latex (5.11ppm) for latex, and logC nitrile (5.09ppm) for nitrile. Stretching the gloves did not significantly change how much they leaked (p = 0.2323). This study helps safety professionals choose the right gloves to keep healthcare workers safe by providing a practical method for measuring glove performance.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 12:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Mbadu, Samuel N. SM; Jorgensen, kyle KJ; Perez, Rocio RP; and Soo, Jhy-Charm JS, "The Dual Impact of Puncture and Biaxial Stretch on the Barrier Integrity of Disposable Medical Gloves" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 61.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/61
The Dual Impact of Puncture and Biaxial Stretch on the Barrier Integrity of Disposable Medical Gloves
Russell Union Ballroom
Protecting healthcare workers from harmful chemicals and germs depends on the strength of their medical gloves. Standard tests do not always reflect how gloves perform when stretched or punctured during real work. This study measured how well three common glove materials, latex, nitrile, and vinyl, keep out fluids when they are stretched and punctured with holes. Using a modified testing apparatus , glove pieces were tested both flat and stretched by 20% using a custom 3D-printed dome. Following ASTM F1670 test parameters, glove specimens were mounted in a modified ASTM F903 test cell apparatus (Soo et al., 2024). Gloves were tested flat and biaxially stretched by 20% using a custom 3D-printed domed screen. Each specimen was challenged with fluorescein solution following the pressure sequence: 0 kPa for 5 minutes, 13.8 kPa for 1 minute, then 0 kPa for 54 minutes. After exposure, samples were analyzed using a spectrofluorometer (Shimadzu RF-6000, Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan) to quantify dye penetration. After testing 273 samples, we found that punctures were the biggest cause of glove failure (P< 0.0001). While all gloves leaked once punctured, the amount of leakage varied by material (P = 0.00002). The measured concentrations were: logC vinyl (5.945ppm) for vinyl, logC latex (5.11ppm) for latex, and logC nitrile (5.09ppm) for nitrile. Stretching the gloves did not significantly change how much they leaked (p = 0.2323). This study helps safety professionals choose the right gloves to keep healthcare workers safe by providing a practical method for measuring glove performance.
