Vendor Viewpoint: Be Watchful for Low-Quality PPE

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Inferior nitrile gloves have entered the market at an alarming rate. Inflated demand, elevated market prices, and shortages of raw materials have set the stage for unscrupulous suppliers and new entrants to take shortcuts in an attempt to maximize profits, while putting users at risk.

Demand for disposable gloves more than doubled as a result of COVID-19. As vaccination rollout continues, demand is softening, but it is expected to reset at higher than pre-COVID levels due to sustained health, safety, and sanitation protocols. Glove manufacturers are increasing capacity, but much of the new supply coming online is of inferior quality, driven by two primary factors: inexperienced new entrants and low-grade raw material.

Many new disposable glove manufacturers have entered the market in recent months, but most are short term-oriented with no prior experience. They will be challenged to effectively and efficiently produce quality products while automating processes and demonstrating a commitment to corporate social responsibility as supply catches up to demand and average selling prices decline.

The disposable glove industry saw a similar surge of new entrants in the 1990s. Only a small percentage survived. It is uncertain whether the new entrants of the 2020s will become viable long-term players in the market. In the meantime, much of the incremental glove volume they’re producing is of inferior quality because many lack product registrations and the quality control systems required to comply with existing standards. 

Disposable nitrile gloves are made with nitrile latex, which is produced by stably dispersing and suspending tiny particles of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) in water. Good-quality nitrile latex consists of small, consistently sized particles with a density similar to the density of water, so the particles remain evenly dispersed. This is defined as suspension, which results in a stable film with low viscosity. High-grade, low-viscosity nitrile latex is less likely to trap bubbles during the glove manufacturing process, which is important because the presence of bubbles can result in tiny pinholes, jeopardizing protection and increasing the risk of rips and tears.

Over the past year, demand for nitrile raw material surged, but there are only a handful of experienced nitrile raw material manufacturers in the world. Manufacturers of other raw materials, including styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), a stiff, abrasion-resistant material, capitalized on unmet demand and attractive market prices by converting to make NBR instead of SBR.

Although the same equipment and chemical mechanisms can be used to make both, it takes years of experience to fine-tune the techniques to produce a stable, homogenous, low-viscosity film ideal for nitrile gloves. The NBR produced by these new entrants is dramatically inferior to the high-grade NBR produced by established, long-term suppliers.

The NBR from opportunistic, inexperienced players is inadequate for nitrile glove production, but in an effort to boost raw material supply and cut costs, many glove manufacturers began adding low-quality NBR to high-grade raw material, creating a diluted mix with inferior properties. A mix of 10% low-grade NBR and 90% high-grade NBR can be used to create nitrile gloves, but the strength and protective properties of those gloves will be diminished. 

Other manufacturers have experimented with mixing additives and fillers into their nitrile raw material. By adding fillers, manufacturers can increase their volume of nitrile raw material at very low cost, but this diminishes the gloves’ quality, resulting in stiffer gloves that can tear more easily.

These tactics and shortcuts put users at risk. Gloves made with adulterated nitrile latex provide significantly lower levels of protection. Poor film structure can lead to weaker gloves with reduced durability and diminished resistance to punctures and tears. Pinhole defects are more common in gloves made with low-grade nitrile due to dispersion and density issues, which lead to less efficacy and decreased barrier protection.

Despite regulatory standards, industrial segments around the world, including the United States, are seeing an influx of inferior-quality product as well, often sold below market price.

Nick Bruno is a product marketing specialist for Ansell, Iselin, N.J.