The present invention generally relates to an incineration-friendly wearable article comprising an elastomeric polymer matrix composed of an inorganic material capable of efficiently able to reduce or eliminate flue gas emissions during incineration of the article, and a method of making the incineration-friendly wearable article containing the elastomeric polymer matrix containing the inorganic material. The inorganic material acts as a catalytic thermal oxidative material.

A glove with an enhanced gripping textured surface is disclosed herein. In preferred embodiments, the glove contains a palm region adapted to cover the palm of a person's hand, a thumb region extending outwardly from the palm region, an index finger region disposed adjacent the thumb region, a middle finger region adjacent the index finger region, a ring finger region adjacent the middle finger region, and a little finger region adjacent the ring finger region with each region containing a textured surface. In preferred embodiments, the textured surface is formed by a plurality of dimensionally hierarchical structures superimposed in layers. The textured surface of the invention, when in contact with wet tissue, repels water at a first texture layer and traps tissue at a second texture layer, such that when in tissue contact, especially exudative tissue, tissue fixatively localizes to the glove surface.

An elastomeric article includes a first surface and a second surface which is treated with a friction treatment. The elastomeric article can be a glove in which the first surface is an inner donning surface and the second surface is an outer grip surface. The friction treatment reduces friction on the grip surface of the gloves in order to make it easier to don a second glove on top of the grip surface of the gloves of the present invention. The gloves of the present invention may be used as a first pair of gloves in a double-gloving configuration to conform with safety protocols.

Disclosed is a carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition, including 0.1-10 parts by weight of a reactive emulsifier based on 100 parts by weight of a monomer mixture, wherein the monomer mixture includes 40-88 wt % of a conjugated diene-based monomer, 10-50 wt % of an ethylenically unsaturated nitrile monomer and 0.1-10 wt % of an ethylenically unsaturated acid monomer. Also disclosed are a method of preparing the carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition and a latex composition for dip molding including the same. The carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition reduces generation of foam through the use of a reactive emulsifier different from the conventional adsorption/desorption type emulsifier, thereby preventing degradation of the quality of latex caused by foam. In addition, the carboxylic acid-modified nitrile-based copolymer latex composition avoids a need for introducing a defoaming agent for removing foam or maturation process.

An ambidextrous glove for facilitating accurate tactility and dexterity on the distal finger pad tips. The glove has finger tip inserts facilitating tactile sensitivity. The inserts are located between the finger tips and first joint on both sides of at least the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. Optionally, the glove is turned inside out. Holes are cut in both sides of the finger tip. The inserts are adhered to the finger tip to cover the holes. If the glove was turned inside out, it is turned outside out.

A glove comprises a first portion formed of a first flexible material and worn on a hand of a user except for the thumb of the hand and an underside portion of the thumb, a second portion formed of a second flexible material and worn on an upper portion of the thumb, and a third portion connecting the first portion with the second portion, formed of a third flexible material, and worn on a lower portion and the underside portion of the thumb, wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are aligned on substantially the same surface or level when spread or stretched.

Waterproof, breathable garments and methods of making are provided. The garments may include a laminate of a seamless ePTFE membrane and at least one textile. The garment is conformable over a range of sizes, and may be shaped to fit numerous sizes and shapes of forming molds. The ePTFE membrane may shrink to fit, or, alternatively, be stretched to fit, a mold having a desired size to form a garment. Such a conformable ePTFE membrane may allow for forming multiple sizes of garments with various sizes and shapes of molds. In embodiments where the ePTFE membrane is seamless and continuous, the garment eliminates the need for a waterproof seam tape, which is conventionally used to make garments waterproof.

A synthetic polyisoprene latex emulsion has pre-vulcanization composition and post vulcanization composition. The pre-vulcanization composition comprises soluble sulfur with high S.sub.8 ring structure that is catalytically broken by a zinc dithiocarbamate. Surfactants present in the pre-vulcanization composition wets synthetic polyisoprene particles and permeates small sized sulfur and accelerator molecules into the interior of these particles thereby pre-vulcanizing the particles. The degree of pre-vulcanization is verified by isopropanol index test. The latex emulsion has post-vulcanization composition with accelerators that crosslink inter-particle region during post vulcanization cure cycle. The dipped synthetic polyisoprene article is substantially uniformly cured both in the inter-particle and intra-particle regions and reliably exhibits high cross link density, uniform distribution of double bonds in TEM and zinc segregation at the boundaries or original particles by electron microprobe analysis. The films exhibit high tensile strength, tensile modulus, tear strength, burst pressure and burst volume.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to anti-static compositions and gloves made from the same. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a doped polyaniline comprising a dopant that is a polyacrylic acid; a polymethacrylic acid; a sulfonatocalixarene; a cyclodextrin sulfate; a compound having the structure:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.2 is chosen from substituted or unsubstituted (C.sub.1-C.sub.10)hydrocarbyl- and substituted or unsubstituted (C.sub.1-C.sub.10)hydrocarbyl-O—. L.sup.1 is substituted or unsubstituted (C.sub.1-C.sub.10)hydrocarbylene. L.sup.2 is chosen from a bond, —O—, —O—C(O)—, and —NH—C(O)—, and n is about 1 to about 100,000; a salt thereof; or a combination thereof.

This application relates to synthetic elastomeric articles, such as gloves, comprising the cured product of a synthetic latex composition, the synthetic latex composition comprising a synthetic carboxylated polymer and a cross-linking composition, the cross-linking composition comprising an aqueous solution of a negatively charged multivalent metal complex ion having a pH of at least 9.0. Also described are compositions for forming the articles, and methods for making the articles, based on the use of the described cross-linking composition. The articles, compositions and methods contain an aqueous solution of a multimetal oxide of the multivalent metal, a hydroxide of the multivalent metal, or a salt of the multivalent metal, such as sodium aluminate, in an amount of less than 0.3 phr. The articles produced have a thickness of between 0.01-3 mm and an unaged tensile strength of at least 15 MPa.