Can plastic gloves repel HCl or strong acids in the laboratory so my hands don't get raped?

*Assume no reaction with plastic, or the glove*

Why... yes. Assuming the impermeable barrier does not react to become permeable *would* make it an impermeable barrier.

Can plastic gloves repel HCl or strong acids in the laboratory so my hands don't get raped?

*Assume no reaction with plastic, or the glove*

Plastic? Nitrile? Latex? Rubber?

There's multiple types of gloves that you use in the lab, but I wouldn't worry, nearly all will repel conc HCl, and even then, a small spill on your hands is fine if you wash it off quickly enough.

I've never had 37%/10M HCl on my hands, but I've had 15% and 98% H2SO4 on my skin for short amounts of time, and no damage was done.

Nitrile are good but with HCl regular gloves bought from a supermarket are ok, as Von Bass states.

Having access to water to wash things off is essential, many things spilt on the skin can be countered with a good wash with water. Eye's are the bitch and why safety specs are a good investment - actually, there are some pretty 'cool' looking styles these days , too, so you don't have to look like a total jack-off with those big fat perspex ones....yeah, nice pair of Gucci safety specs....it won't be long until you can buy them, I assure you...gotta look cuuuule in the lab or the cramped, dirty, stinky cellar of an abandoned house.


*^still wouldn't like 98% H2SO4 on me! Fuck, that had to burn!! It leaches all the moisture out of your skin/anything (great on sugar!)

Yeah 98% must've been insane.

I'm just looking for good gloves because we were working with 6 M HCl and the way we had to do it was pretty bad, so I got some on the ring area between my thumb and index finger. It itched and was red as fuck.


What about latex?

you guys do know that warweed nitrated his finger

you guys do know that warweed nitrated his finger

Warweed's a real man though.

And about the sulphuric, it was literally just a drip, and I had it plunged into a handy beaker of sodium bicarbonate solution within about... 20 seconds. I'd put that there becuase I was paranoid about working with the stuff, so it fairly paid off.

I've had so many fucking acids spilled on me oh jesus. It's just one of those things. I am actually quite a clutzy person. I've had nitration bathes rocket straight out of a flask at me, I once had a bottle of red fuming HNO3 become contaminated and start to heat up and react, it cracked the bottle, and that shit went all over me.


I am actually anti-glove. I mean, I preach safety like a motherfucker, but also, realism man. A bit of most basic "general" acids or bases on your skin for a brief moment is nothing more than a minor irritation. Gloves ruin my dexterity like a motherfucker, and I pretty much refuse to use them. Of course there are always times where it's either wear gloves or like, lost your hands, and I keep some shoulder lenghth insulated neoprene gloves, full face shield, face mask, as well as the goofy goggles.


And as for looking like a jackoff in them, I think I look quite dashing in a pair of old school lab goggles. I've always reveled in the Doc Brown image.

And as for looking like a jackoff in them, I think I look quite dashing in a pair of old school lab goggles. I've always reveled in the Doc Brown image.

lol http://www.boy1da.com/CGTALK/DocBrown.jpg

lol http://www.boy1da.com/CGTALK/DocBrown.jpg

fucking loled

But yeah your best bet is latex gloves with full arm nitriles gloves, glasses and a nice acid resistant lab coat. That is what i use, nothing more or less. The nitriless gloves get change every time i fuck them up or every 2 months more or less. it good to have the latex under for extra protection and so when i take the nitriles one of to work with some fragile stuff i still have some protection!

Where do you get:
- acid resistant lab coat
- shoulder lenght nitrile gloves
- full face shield
- lab apron that doesn't make you look gay
???
fuck yea im trying to get your sources! duh.

No seriously, let me know coz everything local is overpriced and ebay is an asshole :(

Make friends with someone working at McDonalds, and maybe happen upon the fry cleaner safety gear, and the rest is just bought OTC.

Plastic/ Latex gloves are alright if you are WORKING with chemicals. Not dipping your hands in them. Ass.

I had a tiny spit of 12.0N HCl hit the corner of my forehead at work once. It hurt so bad and the mark is still there. Oh and i had to bury my face in the fucking eye wash.

ive had the main concentrated mineral acids (HNO3, H2SO4, HCl) spilt on me. nothing huge, they hurt, but if you wash them off in a few seconds then lasting damage is minimal (conc nitric has a habit of turning skin yellow). This isn't normally a problem, but if you are working in a lab without quickly available water, you can get fucked up. thankfully ive never had a significant spill of HF (gloves do a decent job).

gloves will repel most acids. with conc nitric, some will heat up and react quickly, so its important to take them off as soon as you notice heat.

saftey gear is expensive. with care, most mineral acids (not HF) can be handled with glasses/gloves. it does depend on experience, and if you are handling a conc acid for the first time take no chances. nerves play a very big part, ive seen people get a bit anxious with conc sulphuric and end up with a few blisters. when dealing with HF we did take the space suit approach (i personally thought it was overkill, but health and safety are the new gods).

consider the volumes in play, and the concentrations.

I've seen nitrile gloves at safeway. I'm not sure how long they were, but I'm sure you could cannibalize a pair to extend the length of another.

Edit: Safeway owns Vons, Carrs, Dominick's, Genuardi's, Pak'n Save, Pavilions, Randall's, Simon David, and Tom Thumb. (from wiki)

This isn't normally a problem, but if you are working in a lab without quickly available water, you can get fucked up. thankfully ive never had a significant spill of HF (gloves do a decent job).

when dealing with HF we did take the space suit approach (i personally thought it was overkill, but health and safety are the new gods).


I have no problem working with conc acids and stuff, and have never even noticed any pain with the odd (tiny) splash of conc sulfuric, though I do have respect for them and I'm generally a fairly safe guy in a lab (if a bit of a cowboy now adn then ;) )

But, anyone working with HF w/o the proper safety gear, and IMMEDIATE, supply of calcium glutamate, running water etc. should not be surprised if they die a painful death when they spill it cos they couldn't be assed going to pick up their fucking gloves/face mask/ whatever

I don't reakon the safety protocols are really overkill so much - its affinity for Ca2+ means that it eats your bones as well as fucking up your ion channels etc.

I did hear a story about a guy in Oz who spilled like a litre of HF in his lap while working dissolving rocks in his bosses fucking garden shed... They had a jury-rigged fume hood, incorrect PPE- half fucking length lab coats and sandals FFS!!

he spilt in on himself, jumped in the swimming pool, someone rang the ambulance but they thought he said "hydrochloric" rather "hydrofluoric" and for some reason that made them come slower...


KNOW YOUR SUBSTANCE...

doesn't just mean drugs...

Can plastic gloves repel HCl or strong acids in the laboratory so my hands don't get raped?


Yes, they repel acid. Much like garlic with vampires.

Ksss Ksss ! Repel !

Oh, and HCl isn't such a strong acid btw. Try Oleum, superacids or piranha, you'll be surprised :D

ive had the main concentrated mineral acids (HNO3, H2SO4, HCl) spilt on me. nothing huge, they hurt, but if you wash them off in a few seconds then lasting damage is minimal (conc nitric has a habit of turning skin yellow)

Actually the best thing to do when you "splash" yourself with H2SO4 is to RUB IT OFF, NOT apply water.

It just itches for a few minutes then everything's fine.

ive never heard of rubbing it off, all MSDSs' state it should be washed with water instantly. it doesn't sound particulary useful, whats the reasoning behind it? the don't add water to acid thing wouldn't apply when its only a thin layer on your skin. perhaps wiping excess off and throwing a carbonate on it would do some good, but it seems like your leaving it on your skin for longer than is needed.

most of my work with HF was done in a professional setting, so full length gear and visors were used. most of the time individual volumes were less than 15 mL, but sometimes litres were required. gel and the like was provided. the first time i had to start pouring 2 L of conc HF I was a tad nervous, but you get over it. i had many issues with that place, and although safety gear was provided, it was not the right type (wrong grade, ill fitting, prevented free movement etc). i never felt like i was in danger, but it made it alot easier to quit.

Actually the best thing to do when you "splash" yourself with H2SO4 is to RUB IT OFF, NOT apply water.



nope.

ive never heard of rubbing it off, all MSDSs' state it should be washed with water instantly. it doesn't sound particulary useful, whats the reasoning behind it? the don't add water to acid thing wouldn't apply when its only a thin layer on your skin. perhaps wiping excess off and throwing a carbonate on it would do some good, but it seems like your leaving it on your skin for longer than is needed.


Give me a break, MSDSs are overly paranoid when not flat-out stupid. ("aaah ! 0.1gr of kno3 on your shirt ! Wash it immediately with 2 tons of water and bury it near a volcano to prevent further contamination !!!")

I wasn't referring to the water+acid reaction, but rather the "yay, more contamination and dispertion" ;)


most of my work with HF was done in a professional setting, so full length gear and visors were used. most of the time individual volumes were less than 15 mL, but sometimes litres were required. gel and the like was provided. the first time i had to start pouring 2 L of conc HF I was a tad nervous, but you get over it. i had many issues with that place, and although safety gear was provided, it was not the right type (wrong grade, ill fitting, prevented free movement etc). i never felt like i was in danger, but it made it alot easier to quit.

Protective gears are hardly if ever comfortable. Gah, the horror of the NBC !

you don't just pour 5 mL of water on it and keep working. you run a stream of water over it for at least 30 seconds. considering full solubility of the acid and a constant flow of water, there would be fuck all left after a couple of seconds.

but about the gear, none of it is every comfortable, it's something you have to accept. the gear we were given was constricting to the point of being a hazard in itself. spillages were more frequent due to the clumsiness of the suits, and the equipment (usually tap like auto-dispensers) were not suited to the job. when you work for a lab you expect a certain level of equipment to be provided, especially when dealing with nasties like HF.


heres something new, i was talking to a friend who works in a path lab and recently had to deal with someone getting ammonia in her eyes. the company in all its wisdom has decided that eye wash baths are not allowed as they only make the problem worse, causing this girl to get nicely burnt on the inside of her eyelids while they fucked around with a shower in a dressing room. the idea that eye wash baths are bad is completely foreign to me, it sounds like the typical (criminal) mismanagement that small labs have. i'm wondering though, has anyone heard what the basis of that claim is? i goggled it, but it seems that there are no negative reports to be found.

on a general note, it pisses me off that chemistry is quite a specialised subject that is by no means easy, yet the pay in commercial labs is laughable. it is a problem in all sciences, but the conditions ive witnessed and heard about in labs is pathetic. safety is rubbish, ive had to use folded pieces of leather to handle beakers full of boiling aqua regia because no tongs were available and i have seen HF spills being mopped up (after dilution) with the same sponges we use to clean glassware. we had concentrated acid waste bins, that were shared amongst the facility, and it was always a shock to pour some acid in and have it fizz up due to a layer of carbonate in the bottom.

i worked at a liquor store, part time and earned 25% more than i have in a lab. i would have earned less, but they paid me more as i was experienced in lab work. what a fucking joke. sometimes i think you guys have it right, some of the few people who actually manage to make money from this chemistry lark.

Actually the best thing to do when you "splash" yourself with H2SO4 is to RUB IT OFF

When one's flesh is dissolving in acid, one must make time for masturbation.

When one's flesh is dissolving in acid, one must make time for masturbation.

i c wut u did thar!

Make friends with someone working at McDonalds, and maybe happen upon the fry cleaner safety gear, and the rest is just bought OTC.

i know movie theaters have face shields... and im sure other gear but thats more of a precaution against having xenon arc lamps maiming you if you happened to drop one... ive heard stories about them occasionally exploding inside of a projector from someones fuckup.

i know movie theaters have face shields... and im sure other gear but thats more of a precaution against having xenon arc lamps maiming you if you happened to drop one... ive heard stories about them occasionally exploding inside of a projector from someones fuckup.

Welding place have some nice shield which you can modify with a bit of work :)