Modeling Organic Solvents Permeation Through Protective Gloves

Abstract

Several researchers have studied the diffusion of organic solvents through chemical protective gloves and have estimated the diffusion coefficients by using various models. In this study, permeation experiments of benzene, toluene, and styrene through nitrile and Neoprene gloves were conducted using the ASTM F-739 standard test method. The diffusion coefficients were estimated using several models from the literature. Using a one-dimensional diffusion equation based on Fick's second law and the estimated diffusion coefficients, the permeation concentrations were simulated and compared with the experimental results. The modeling results indicated that the solubility of the solvent in the glove materials obtained by immersion tests was not an appropriate boundary condition for organic solvent permeation through the polymer gloves. The modeling work of this study will assist industrial hygienists to assess exposure of chemicals to workers through the chemical protective gloves.