Rubber Gloves are protective hand covers worn to reduce human exposure to dangerous or harmful environments. They have industrial and medical applications and include various types of rubber to make the gloves. These gloves are of great use when to protect hands from chemicals, staining, hot water, or icky substances that need to be cleaned. There are many types of rubber gloves available for various needs.

Types of Rubber Gloves

• General-purpose safety gloves or sleeves
• Surgical gloves
• Industrial gloves
• Welding gloves
• Electrical gloves etc.

Types of rubber used in making gloves

• Natural Rubber (Latex)
• Natural Rubber Blends
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
• Neoprene
• Nitrile Rubber (NBR)
• Butyl Rubber (IIR)
• Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)
• Fluoroelastomers (FKM)/
  Viton

Advantages and Disadvantages of Gloves
There are a variety of glove types available in the market today which are designed for use with specific chemicals and chemical families. Each type of glove has its own advantages and disadvantages and this should be considered carefully before use. The following table highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each type of gloves:

Type	Advantages	Disadvantages	Use Against
Natural Rubber (Latex)	Low cost, good physical properties, dexterity	Poor vs. oils, greases, organics frequently imported, may be poor quality	Bases, alcohols, dilute water solutions; fair vs. aldehydes, ketones
Natural Rubber Blends	Low cost, dexterity, better chemical resistance than natural rubber vs. some chemicals	Physical properties frequently inferior to natural rubber	Same as natural rubber
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)	Low cost, very good physical properties, medium cost, medium chemical resistance	Plasticizers can be stripped; frequently imported may be poor quality	Strong acids and bases, salts, other water solutions, alcohols
Neoprene	Medium cost, medium chemical resistance, medium physical properties	N/A	Oxidizing acids, anilines, phenol, glycol ethers
Nitrile	Low cost, excellent physical properties, dexterity. Long service life	Poor vs. benzene, methylene chloride, trichloro- ethylene & many ketones	Oils, greases, aliphatic chemicals, xylene, perchloroethylene, trichloroethane; fair vs. toluene
Butyl	Specialty gloves, polar organics	Expensive, poor vs. hydrocarbons, & chlorinated solvents	Glycol ethers, ketones, esters
Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)	Specialty glove, resists a very broad range of organics, good physical properties	Very expensive, water sensitive, poor vs. light alcohols	Aliphatics, aromatics, chlorinated solvents, ketones (except acetone), esters, ethers
Fluoroelastomer (Viton)	Specialty glove, organic solvents	Extremely expensive, poor physical properties, poor vs. some ketones, esters, amines	Aromatics, chlorinated solvents, also Aliphatics and alcohols

Source:
http://www.aecom.yu.edu/ehs/Industrial%20Hygiene/Fs_Gloves.htm

Buying Tips Factors to consider when selecting gloves are: Resistance to physical damage such as tearing or abrasion. The dexterity needed when the gloves are worn. The extent of coverage required. Specific hazards such as electricity or volatile organic chemicals (VOC). Always inspect the glove for cuts or punctures prior to use To consider the risk of allergic sensitization when selecting rubber gloves rather than just choosing the lowest cost item available.