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Nitrile gloves are a good barrier against some chemicals and a poor one against others, and the difference is measured in minutes, not in the word “resistant.” This page shows what one manufacturer’s published ASTM F739 breakthrough data says for a common nitrile exam glove, and what that data does and does not let you conclude.
Who uses it: people who need barrier protection and tactile sensitivity and whose tasks involve, at most, incidental chemical splash, as the manufacturer describes its thin nitrile exam gloves. This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice and is not a substitute for a workplace hazard assessment.
Short answer: what nitrile gloves resist and where they fail
Thin disposable nitrile exam gloves are designed for barrier protection and tactile sensitivity, not for prolonged contact with chemicals. Kimberly-Clark’s own chemical resistance guide for its nitrile exam gloves states that its thin-mil gloves “are not designed for applications involving prolonged, direct exposure to chemicals” and are intended for incidental splash exposure, with gloves removed and replaced immediately if a splash occurs. In that same chart, breakthrough ranges from more than 480 minutes (for example 10% hydrochloric acid and 50% sodium hydroxide) down to under one minute (for example 99.8% methanol), and several common solvents sit at about one minute. A statement such as “nitrile resists acids” or “nitrile fails with solvents” therefore hides most of the useful information, and concentration matters as much as the chemical’s name: 37% hydrochloric acid shows 16 minutes while 10% shows more than 480. This also answers the variant search “nitrile glove chemical resistance”: the answer depends on the chemical, its concentration, the glove model and its thickness.
Breakthrough data for one named nitrile exam glove
The table below reproduces selected rows from the Kimberly-Clark Nitrile Gloves Chemical Resistance Guide (“Incidental Exposure Only”, form P15-4510, 1/15; read 2026-11-07 via the copy hosted by UC Irvine Environmental Health & Safety). The data were generated on the Kimberly-Clark Sterling Nitrile Exam Glove and the guide lists the Blue, Forest Green, Purple, Spring Green and Sterling exam gloves as covered. The manufacturer states the data do not represent thinner gloves, such as its G10 Arctic Blue nitrile glove. The test method cited is ASTM F739. The guide rates permeation breakthrough time as Excellent (60-480 minutes), Good (10-59), Poor (1-9) and Not Recommended (under 1). The band in the last column applies that scale to the printed time; the manufacturer’s separate colour code also weighs chemical volatility and is not reproduced here.
| Chemical (concentration as printed) | Breakthrough (minutes) | Band on the manufacturer’s scale |
|---|---|---|
| Acetone (99.5%) | 1 | Poor |
| Acetonitrile (99%) | 1 | Poor |
| Dichloromethane (99.9%) | 1 | Poor |
| n-Hexane (99+%) | 16 | Good |
| Formaldehyde (37%) | 110 | Excellent |
| Ethanol (99.5+%) | 7 | Poor |
| Methanol (99.8%) | <1 | Not Recommended |
| Dimethyl sulfoxide (99.90%) | 8 | Poor |
| o-Xylene (98%) | 1 | Poor |
| Hydrochloric acid (37%) | 16 | Good |
| Hydrochloric acid (10%) | >480 | Excellent |
| Nitric acid (70%) | 1 | Poor |
| Nitric acid (10%) | 277 | Excellent |
| Sulfuric acid (95-98%) | 1 | Poor |
| Sulfuric acid (47.0%) | >480 | Excellent |
| Potassium hydroxide (50%) | >480 | Excellent |
| Sodium hydroxide (50%) | >480 | Excellent |
Source: Kimberly-Clark Nitrile Gloves Chemical Resistance Guide, as hosted at ehs.uci.edu, read 2026-11-07. Numbers are one manufacturer’s results for one glove; they are not a property of “nitrile” in general.
What the table shows
- Concentration changes the answer, in both directions. Hydrochloric acid shows 16 minutes at 37% and more than 480 at 10%; nitric acid shows 1 minute at 70% and 277 at 10%; sulfuric acid shows 1 minute at 95-98% and more than 480 at 47%. A rule of thumb that ignores concentration can point the wrong way.
- Common lab solvents are short. Acetone, acetonitrile, dichloromethane and o-xylene each show 1 minute, ethanol 7, dimethyl sulfoxide 8, and 99.8% methanol under 1, so none reaches the manufacturer’s Good or Excellent band; n-hexane (16 minutes) is Good but still short.
- A long time on one row says nothing about the next chemical. The same glove that shows more than 480 minutes for 47% sulfuric acid shows under 1 minute for 99.8% methanol.
What it is
A nitrile exam glove, as Kimberly-Clark describes its range, is a thin-gauge disposable glove “designed to provide barrier protection and tactile sensitivity to the wearer.” The chemical resistance guide covers five of its exam glove lines (Blue, Forest Green, Purple, Spring Green and Sterling). The company states that the data do not represent thinner gloves such as its G10 Arctic Blue glove.
How the data are produced
The guide’s results come from ASTM F739 permeation testing. For each glove and chemical pair it prints a permeation breakthrough time in minutes, a permeation rate in pg/cm2/min (or “Not Detected”), and the chemical’s concentration. It also prints a colour code that combines breakthrough time with the chemical’s volatility (boiling point below or above 24 C). The breakthrough bands are Excellent 60-480 minutes, Good 10-59, Poor 1-9 and Not Recommended under 1. For the material and how it is made, see what is a nitrile glove.
Types and variants
The variants that matter for this page are the glove models and their thickness. Data generated on the Sterling exam glove are stated to apply to the five lines listed above and not to thinner gloves. Gloves of other materials behave differently; see the chemical-resistant glove selection guide and butyl gloves.
How to choose
Choosing means matching three things to the manufacturer’s chart: the glove model and thickness, the chemical, and its concentration. The numbered steps in the section after the next one set this out. If a chemical is not in the chart for your exact glove, the chart gives no basis for choosing that glove.
Safe use and handling basics
The manufacturer’s instruction is that gloves “should be removed and replaced immediately if incidental splash exposure occurs.” The guide is for incidental splash, not immersion or prolonged direct contact. OSHA’s hand protection standard (below) puts the duty to evaluate and select hand protection on the employer.
Common mistakes
- Treating “nitrile” as one material with one rating, rather than a specific glove tested against a specific chemical.
- Quoting a chemical’s name without its concentration.
- Applying data from a thicker glove to a thinner one.
- Using an exam glove for prolonged contact, or in place of insulating gloves (see the FAQ).
Splash protection versus sustained contact
The manufacturer’s guide is explicitly an incidental-exposure guide. Its own instruction is that a glove contacted by a splash is removed and replaced immediately, which is a different use from holding a glove in a chemical. For longer contact, the guide supplies no data. CASRAI’s chemical-resistant glove selection guide covers other glove materials, and butyl gloves is a starting point for one alternative material.
How to read a chart like this
- Match the glove model and thickness to the one tested. The manufacturer states the data do not represent thinner gloves.
- Match the chemical and its concentration, not just its name.
- Read breakthrough time as the result of the ASTM F739 permeation test the manufacturer cites; see glove breakthrough time and permeation data for what the method measures and what a rating does not mean.
- Check the rating scale used. This manufacturer’s bands are above; other manufacturers may use different ones. A glove compatibility chart is only as portable as its stated test conditions.
The OSHA requirement behind glove selection
OSHA’s hand protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.138 (read 2026-11-07), requires employers to select and require employees to use appropriate hand protection when hands are exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances. It also requires that selection be based on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the hand protection relative to the task, the conditions present, the duration of use and the hazards identified. A generic statement that nitrile “resists” a chemical is not that evaluation. CASRAI’s PPE hazard assessment guide covers the related written certification.
What are nitrile gloves used for?
Nitrile exam gloves are thin disposable gloves used where barrier protection and tactile sensitivity are needed, as the manufacturer describes them, and where any chemical contact is incidental. For the material and how it is made, see what is a nitrile glove; for specification and purchasing criteria, see the nitrile glove specification guide.
What should nitrile gloves not be used for?
Based on the sources above, thin nitrile exam gloves should not be relied on for prolonged or direct chemical exposure, for chemicals whose chart entry shows short breakthrough such as the solvents in the table, or for any chemical not covered by test data for that exact glove. They should also not be assumed to match data for a thinner or different glove. Where a chemical splashes onto a glove, the manufacturer instructs removing and replacing it immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Are nitrile gloves electrically resistant?
Disposable nitrile exam gloves are not electrical protective equipment. OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.137 (read 2026-11-07) sets requirements for rubber insulating gloves and other insulating equipment, and treats ASTM D120, the specification for rubber insulating gloves, as meeting its performance requirements. The Kimberly-Clark chemical guide makes no electrical claim, and an exam glove sold for barrier protection should not be used in place of insulating gloves.
Are nitrile gloves antimicrobial?
The chemical resistance guide describes barrier protection, not antimicrobial action. The FDA’s AccessGUDID database lists “antimicrobial” non-powdered nitrile examination gloves as a distinct product term, which indicates antimicrobial gloves are a separate product, not a property of every nitrile glove.
Can I use the table above for other nitrile gloves?
No. It describes one manufacturer’s tested glove at the printed concentrations. Use the chart supplied for the specific glove you have.
Sources
- Kimberly-Clark Nitrile Gloves Chemical Resistance Guide, “Incidental Exposure Only” (P15-4510, 1/15), copy hosted by UC Irvine EHS, read 2026-11-07.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.138, Hand protection, read 2026-11-07.
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.137, Electrical protective equipment, read 2026-11-07.
