How are physical factors, such as flexure, friction and tension, tested by manufacturers?
McManuis: Flex and peel tests are not done on glove materials. There is some tear and some coefficient of friction testing done but tension is by far the most common mechanical test. ASTM D3577 specification for rubber surgical gloves, ASTM D3578 specification for rubber examination gloves and ASTM D6319 specification for nitrile examination gloves for medical application all recommend ASTM Method D412 for tension testing. Some suppliers have changed from using the ASTM D412 die C specimen to the shorter die D specimen to reduce the absolute crosshead travel required to produce failure. Peel tests are often done on glove packaging. How can the aforementioned tests fail? McManuis: The mechanical tests are a reliable measure of glove performance. Correlation between test results and in-use failure is straightforward. In regards to quantity of actual gloves tested, do manufacturers tend to do spot-testing? McManuis: QC testing protocols vary but are usually either spot tests or some fract
