CHAPTER 8

LATEX DIPPING
 INTRODUCTION
• The dipping process consist essentially in the immersion of a former
into suitably compounded latex, followed by slow withdrawal in
such a way as to leave a uniform deposits of a latex on the former.
• The thickness of the deposits may be reinforced with subsequent
coatings.
• The processing completed by drying, leaching and if necessary
vulcanising the deposits
• It is usually desirable to form a rolled bead at the neck of the article
in order to reinforce the thin rubber deposits against tearing
 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF LATEX
COMPOUND FOR DIPPING
• Satisfactory wetting property
• Low foaming tendency; air bubbles break up readily
• Low webbing tendency
• Satisfactory precuring rate, the crosslink density must not increase beyond
acceptable range during storage and under operation conditions
• Latex compound must be stable during storage/operation conditions;
adequate mechanical and chemical stability
• Satisfactory gelling rate/build up of deposits
 THE PRINCIPAL OF DIPPING METHOD
1. Simple (Straight) Dipping
• Single Dip
• Multi Dip
2. Wet Coacervant Dipping
• Initial immersion in coacervant
• Initial immersion in latex
3. Dry coacervant Dipping
4. Heat Sensitised Dipping
5. Electrodeposition
 1. SIMPLE DIPPING
• Latex dipping without the use of any coacervants to assist the formation of latex
deposit on the former
• Latex compound must have good wetting property; satisfactory flow behavior;
some heat sensitivity - to facilitate gelling process especially when cold formers
are used
i. Single Dip/straight dipping
Single dip process give very thin deposits, thus are not widely used unless
such very thin deposit are required
ii. Multi dip
The thickness of the deposit is approx. proportional to the number of dips
 2. WET COACERVANT DIPPING
i. Initial immersion in coacervant

• The former is first immersed into the coacervant (eg: acetic acid) then it is
removed and the excess allowed to drain off. It is then immersed in the
latex compound and allowed to dwell at a predetermined time.
• Initial rate of deposition is fast but it slow down until the limiting thickness is
attained
• Usually after a matter of 5-10 minutes
• This type is not widely used because of non uniformity of deposit and the
tendency for the deposit to slip off the former during withdrawal
• The tendency to slippage is due to the presence of a film of liquid
between the deposit and the former.
 2. WET COACERVANT DIPPING
ii. Initial immersion in latex
• In this process the former is first immersed in the latex and is then withdrawn,
immerse in the coacervant, withdrawn and then immersed in the latex a second
time. The former is allowed to dwell for a time which is determined by the final
thickness of deposit required.
• The initial deposit tends to act as a tie coat discouraging slippage of the deposit
away from the former
• This deposit also help to absorb the coacervant so that the thicker final deposits
may be obtained
• One disadvantage of this method is that it involves two latex dips , and the initial
and coacervant deposits may not knit together satisfactorily due to coacervant
layer between them . Thus some delamination may occur in service
• This technique however proved especially useful for the production of fabric
supported products by dipping
 3. DRY COACERVANT DIPPING
• The most popular method of latex dipping process
• The former is first immersed in a solution of a coacervant in a volatile solvent
• After withdrawal from the solution the solvent is allowed to evaporate
leaving a dry deposit or one which is in the form of very viscous
concentrated solution
• The former then immersed in the latex and is allowed to dwell for a
predetermined time
• The thickness of the deposit depends largely on the time of dwell and upon
stability of the latex towards the particular coacervant which is used.
 4. HEAT SENSITISED DIPPING
• The principle here is to employ a heated former and to compound the
latex in such a way that it is heat sensitive
• The thickness of the deposit obtained depends upon several factors ; the
degree of heat sensitivity of latex, the temperature of the former and the
heat capacity of the former
• By suitably heat sensitizing the latex, it is possible to obtain very thick
deposit by this method
• Latex compound must have good wetting property , adequate heat
sensitivity, stable for at least a few days during storage at room or low
temperatures
 5. ELECTRODEPOSITION
• Since the latex particles is usually carry a negative
charge , it is possible to assist deposition by causing
the particles to migrate towards the former under the
influence of a potential gradient.
• The former must have positive polarity to be effective
PRODUCTION OF ARTICLES BY LATEX DIPPING PROCESSES

• Former
• Dipping Tanks
• Sequence of Operation
• Finishing Operations
(After Treatment)
 1. FORMERS
• Various material are employed for the manufacture of
formers. The majority of glove and balloon formers are
made from porcelain which may be glazed or unglazed
• Unglazed material are especially suitable for used with
coacervant solutions since the former can then absorb
substantial amounts of the solutions in the pores
 1. FORMERS
• Glazed former impart a smoother surface to the subsequent
deposit and less difficulty in the removal of the article and
easy to clean
• Aluminum and aluminum alloys have certain advantages
as material for formers:
They are light, strong unbreakable and unaffected by
thermal shock but they dent and deform easily
Corrosion can also be a problem especially with use of
strongly alkaline heat sensitive lattices
 1. FORMERS
• Other cheaper materials which have been used for the
manufacture of formers include wood and plaster of paris
• Proper cleaning or formers is an important factors in the
successful production of articles by dipping
• The presence of grease on the former surface is fatal and lead to
thinning and even to the complete absence of deposit in that
region
 2. DIPPING TANK
• The latex compound must be kept in motion and circulated
from the top to the bottom of the tank and back again
• Such motion is necessary in order to prevent skinning ,
creaming and sedimentation
• The agitation should be just sufficient to prevent these effects ;
it should not be so violent as to cause eddying when the
formers are immersed in the latex
 2. DIPPING TANK
• It is also desirable to provide a water jacket or other means for
maintaining the temperature of the tank constant
• Control of temperature is effective in retarding the rate of
prevulcanization as well as in maintaining a constant viscosity and
stability
• Small laboratory tank - stainless steel and glass are ideal materials
• Larger tanks - steel lined with lead or an alkali resistant resin (metal tanks)
are suitable
SEQUENCE OF OPERATION OF LATEX DIPPING
• Compounding of latex
• Pretreatment of formers
• Immersion of former
• Dwell
• Withdrawal
• Inversion
• Drying ,Leaching and beading
• Dusting
• Vulcanisation
• Stripping
• Inspection
1. Compounding of Latex
• All compounding ingredients are added to latex which is
then heated to achieve a degree of prevulcanization
• After cooling the compound is matured for a few days
under gentle agitation during which time all air bubbles
should be completely eliminated
• From this stage onwards it is important to see that no air
drawn down into the compound
• Otherwise pinholes and grosser defects will find their way
into the finished products
• Care must be taken when stirring , pouring and pumping
deaerated latex
2. Pretreatment of formers
• The formers are cleaned , washed , heated
and then dipped into the coacervant solution
• It is important that the layer of coacervant
should be uniform over the surface of any one
former
• This requires attention to the cleanliness of both
the former and the bath of solution
3. Immersion of former
• The immersion rate should be sufficiently slow to
prevent air being drawn into the bath with the former
but sufficiently fast to maintain the meniscus
surrounding the former
• If the speed of immersion is non-uniform, transverse
striation or undulation may occur
• For glove formers, the ideal entry speed will be fairly
rapid as the fingers enter the latex, and then slow down
to avoid air being trapped in between the fingers. The
entry will then speed up again once all fingers are
immersed in the latex.
4. Dwell
• The duration of the dwell period will be
determined by the thickness of deposit required
in relation to the stability of the latex and the
potency and quantity of coacervant held by
the former
5. Withdrawal
• With gloves and other beaded products, it is common
practice to dip to full immersion and then immediately
withdraw
• Withdrawal is commonly carried out in two stages
1st stage - The former is first withdrawn about 5-10
mm after some 10-20 sec dwell - This gives a thin
film at the open end of the product that is more
easily picked up by the bead rollers (beading)
2nd stage - Withdrawal is then completed after the
remainder of the dwell time has elapsed
6. Inversion
• It is desirable to invert the withdrawn former
through 180 in order to ensure dispersal of the
drops form at the lower extremities of the
deposit
• Rotation is usually continued through a full
revolution
7. Drying, Leaching and beading
i. Drying
• Drying may be effected by direct gas heating elements by
the use of infra red rays, by electric heating elements
together with force convection by hot air or by live steam
• Direct gas heating tend to darken the dry film
• Infra red rays-recommended only for the drying of very thin
film
• Live steam-very satisfactory method since it fulfils the
conditions for the slow but steady evaporation of water
ii. Leaching
• Leaching with water is necessary in order to remove water soluble
serum residues, residual coacervant and surface active substance
• The effect is to improve the feel of the product as well as its resistance
to water absorption and to ageing
• Warm water or hot water is recommended for leaching except where
it is desired to remove residual heat sensitizers , cold water must be
employed
iii. Beading
• Involves the rolling down of the thin film of rubber while the article is still on
the former
• Can be done manually or automatically by means of small rotating
brushes/rollers
• Deposits from lightly pre-vulcanised/vulcanised latex, retain sufficient of their
self-adhesive tack without the aid of adhesive
8. Dusting
• Dusting is necessary in order to prevent the article
sticking to itself after removal from the former
• A wide range of dusting powder is available
• They maybe applied dry or as dispersion in water
• Various clays and talcs may be used for cheapness
9. Vulcanization
• Although many lattices used in coagulant dipping are
prevulcanised, a curing stage will be necessary at
which the balance of the optimum cure can be given
• It may be convenient to combine drying and curing
• Temperature range from 100 to 150°C
10. Stripping
• Stripping may be done by hand if production is on a
small scale, but impracticable in automated
production
• In this case a combination of air-blast and rollers is
generally used
11. Inspection
• The type and level of inspection will clearly depend upon
products being made
• Low percentage inspection is sufficient for articles such as
balloons and household gloves
• Visual inspection followed by an inflation test is usually sufficient
 FINISHING OPERATIONS
(AFTER TREATMENT)
1. Roughening
• The outside of the palm of latex dipped gloves
is frequently roughened in order to provide a
convenient grip
• At least three distinct roughening procedure
are available;
i. After withdrawal , the wet deposit may be
immersed in a bath which contains a small
amount of a coacervant
Roughening –cont’d
• The coacervant ensures that the deposit is bounded by a
tough film of rubber , whilst the rubber solvent swell the
underlying deposits so that crinkling of the surface occurs
• Disadvantages of this method is the roughened portion
cannot be confined to the palm section, the whole glove
up to the level of immersion in the roughening solution must
be roughened
Roughening - cont’d
ii. A roughened sheet of rubber may be stuck on to the palm
of the glove after drying and before any final cure is give
iii. Roughened formers may be used in which case the glove
must be turned inside –out after removal from the former
2. Halogenation
• Bromination or chlorination of the inside surface of latex
gloves is frequently practised in order to attain a smooth
surface of pleasing feel
• The glove is thereby made easier to put on and take off
• There is also some evidence that halogenation improves
the resistance of the rubber to synthetic detergents
• The process is carried out by immersing the glove for a
few seconds in either chlorine water or bromine water
3. Flocking
This term is used to describe a treatment whereby cotton
flocs are caused to adhere to the inside surface of the
glove in order to give a pleasing velvety feel and to
facilitate the putting on and taking off the glove
One procedure for carrying out this process requires the
glove to be turned inside out , treated with a suitable
adhesive and then passed through a small chamber in
which cotton floccs are kept suspended
FLOCKING
4. Jazzing
• This is a process which is applied primarily to
balloons where by they are treated with a number
of coloured rubber solution to give a variegated
colour effect
• One method is to dip the balloons in a water bath
on the surface of which small quantities of multi-
coloured rubber solution have been allowed to
spread and partly intermix
• Alternatively the various colours can be applied by
spraying
PRODUCTS FROM DIP MOLDING MACHINE
 GLOVES MANUFACTURING PROCESS

• Types of Gloves available;

• Thin type or exam
glove
• Disposable or single use
• Surgical glove or
medical gloves
• Household glove
• Gardening glove
(supported glove)
• Work glove
• Cut resistance
• Rubber thermal
glove
• Multipurpose
• Cold weather and
freezer
• Sports (soccer etc)

Cold Weather Long Cuff Waterproof

Insulated Gloves
 Optional (for
powder-free gloves)

Powder slurry is optional

(for powdered gloves)

GLOVES MANUFACTURING PROCESS FLOW

 PROCESSING CONDITION AND
PARAMETERS OF GLOVE MANUFACTURING
LATEX PREPARATION
• While latex gloves come from natural rubber latex, they are not
100% pure. This is because manufacturers combine the latex
concentrate with a number of compounding chemicals during
the initial step of the production process. This step enhances
the latex’s properties, such as the elasticity, as well as stabilizes
the material and its shelf life.
 FORMER CLEANING
• To mold the latex into the shape of a glove, manufacturers use hand-
shaped ceramic or porcelain formers. The first task is to wash these formers
by dipping them in water and then bleach. This ensures no residues are left
from the previous batch and to obtain an even and continuous deposition
of the latex.
• A variety of cleaning agents can be used, including alkaline solutions,
acidic solutions, oxidizing agents, surfactants, and a combination of these.
DIPPING, LEACHING AND VULCANIZING
 Coagulant dipping - Once the former surface has been cleaned, the next
step is to coat the former with a coagulant, which will assist in controlling
the amount of latex that will be deposited on the mold and eventually
determine the thickness of the glove. Several coagulants can be used, with
the most common being calcium nitrate. The coagulant solution may also
contain some type of parting agent, which will prevent the rubber from
adhering to the porcelain surface and allow the cured glove to be stripped
off the former.
 DIPPING, LEACHING AND VULCANIZING
• Latex dipping - After the former has been coated and
dried, it is immersed in a latex solution. The latex can be
either synthetic or natural and will generally have been
mixed or compounded with curatives, antioxidants, and
stabilizers. It may also be prevulcanized. The length of time
of immersion varying based on the desired glove thickness.
• Pre-leaching- The latex that has now been deposited on
the former is allowed to build up some wet-gel strength
before leaching. The pre-leaching process before the
vulcanization step is effective in removing residual calcium
nitrate and does remove some soluble protein. Hot water is
used, and the tanks are usually regularly replenished with
fresh water.
DIPPING, LEACHING AND VULCANIZING
• Vulcanizing - The leached latex now enters a vulcanizing oven to
dry and solidify, where the rubber will achieve its final strength. Exit
from the oven is the point at which processes can vary
significantly.

• Post-leaching - This process involves dipping the gloves in water

tanks and removing excess latex proteins to lower the risk of
wearers having an allergic reaction and enhance the feel.
 LEACHING PROTOCOL
Pre-Vulcanisation leaching
• Also known as "wet gel leaching", this is the process of immersing the latex-
coated formers into a bath or spray of water, to wash out excess additives
from previous stages, such as coagulant. Chemical and protein content can
be reduced at this stage. The effectiveness of the process is dependent on
the temperature of the water, the duration of the process, and the rate of
water exchange.

Post-Vulcanisation Leaching
• Also called "dry-film" leaching, this process is similar to the wet-film leaching
above, except it is carried out on the dry/vulcanized latex film. The
effectiveness of the process in reducing water extractives is a function of
time and temperature.
 LEACHING – PROTEIN REMOVAL
• Studies have shown that residual proteins on the
surface of the gloves are concentrated on the
donning side (or the surface away from the former
during processing).
• This is largely due to migration of the soluble
proteins within the wet latex film during the
manufacturing process.
• This migration begins when latex gloves are first
subjected to leaching at the wet-gel stage and
continues during curing and drying in the
vulcanization ovens.
• Thus, leaching both during the wet-gel/precure
stage and after the drying/postcure stage is
strongly recommended to effect substantial
removal of these residual proteins.
 BEADING AND POWDERING

• Beading the cuffs: Once the gloves are done with leaching (pre-leaching), the
manufacturers roll the cuffs to make the gloves easier to remove. The gloves
may undergo leaching again after beading (post-leaching).
• Applying powder: If the gloves are powdered, they enter a wet food-grade
cornstarch powder slurry. Afterward, manufacturers dry the gloves again
 STRIPPING
In order to increase manufacturing efficiencies, one of the areas to
achieve better performance and output is by reducing the labor
dependency and handling during the stripping process of the
gloves from the production line. All our production dipping lines for
examination gloves are designed with an automated stripping
system to automatically reverse and remove the gloves from the
formers once the dipping process is completed.
 POWDERED GLOVE MANUFACTURE
• Three basic manufacturing routes can be used at this stage
Process 1:
The gloves can be dipped into a powder slurry and then
stripped and packed.
The simplest and possibly the most commonly used approach.
The glove is stripped from the former and packed. The glove
surface would be expected to contain high levels of residual
materials.
Process 2 : Post-oven leaching process
The gloves can be leached again and then powdered with a powder slurry.

 Commonly referred to as a post-oven leaching process.

 During the vulcanization process, the water entrapped in the latex film is
turned into steam and escapes through the film.
 As the steam passes through the film, it will carry with it any residual nitrates,
curatives, and soluble proteins.
 This is similar in essence to a steam distillation.
 Consequently, the surface of the latex glove as it exits the vulcanizing oven
is rich in these materials.
 Presentation of this surface, with its high concentration of chemicals and
protein, to a leach tank containing clean hot water enables the surface to
be easily washed and effectively reduces the concentration of the
aforementioned materials.
 It is crucial that the water in the leach tank be continually refreshed;
otherwise, the concentration of the extractable material increases to a
point at which contaminants are added rather than removed from the
glove surface
Process 3 (Off-line powdering)
The gloves can be stripped, washed, dried, and powdered.

 The gloves are post-processed.

 The gloves, after they are stripped from the formers, are
placed in a commercial washer where they are subjected
to a hot water and detergent wash, followed by hot water
rinsing.
 This washing is very effective in removing residual
chemicals such as nitrates and certain curatives, and it
also dramatically reduces the protein levels
 POWDER-FREE PROCESSING
• If the gloves are powder free, they undergo
alternative processes to facilitate easier donning
• Today, a variety of methods are available for the
production of powder-free gloves. These are:
(1) chlorination
(2) coatings
(3) powder-free coagulants and coatings.
• Chlorination makes the latex less tacky, while coating
the gloves with a polymer makes the surface
smoother
 1. CHLORINATION
• The double bonds in the polyisoprene polymer
contained within NR latex are very susceptible (harm) to
the addition of chlorine.

• For this reason, it is important that the chlorination

process be carefully controlled because over-
chlorination will result in gloves that have
• shorter shelf-lives
• poorer physical properties
• discolored
• bad odor
 1. CHLORINATION
• The gloves can be produced in the standard way that powdered gloves are
produced and subjected to a batch chlorination process. The most common piece of
equipment used to chlorinate gloves is a rotating drum chlorinator, which is
commercially available.
• 1.Prewashing
• 2.Exposure to a chlorine solution
• 3.Neutralization
• 4.Rinsing
• 5.Drying
• The powdered gloves can be placed directly in the chlorinator, and with the use of
high concentrations of chlorine, the gloves are chlorinated on the inside and outside,
with the outside receiving a heavier dose. Gloves processed in this way are usually
badly discolored and have a distinct odor. They also tend to have lower values for
tensile strength and show a marked decrease in their aged tensile properties
 1. CHLORINATION
• An alternative process is to manually invert the gloves to expose the inner
surface and chlorinate them by using a lower-strength solution. The gloves
are then re-inverted. Gloves that are not chlorinated a second time
usually have good grip characteristics but tend to stick to each other in
the box, which makes dispensing difficult. Gloves that are double-
chlorinated have a smoother feel
• Another technique is use of on-line chlorination. The advantages of using
this method are that the outside of the glove is chlorinated and can then
become the inner surface for donning when inverted at stripping. Post-dip
chlorination is then performed very lightly on the outer surface (after
inversion). These processes aid in maintaining better physical properties.
Further, donning is improved
 2. COATINGS
• Coating the inner surface of the glove, followed by chlorination of the
outer surface, is becoming the more common technique to render
gloves powder-free.
• Coatings offer the opportunity for manufacturers to enhance or
improve the donnability of gloves.
• Some coatings provide excellent dry hand donning, whereas others
provide both dry and damp or wet hand donning.
• Typical coating materials are polyacrylates, polyurethanes, and
combinations of the two.
• The coatings can be classified as hydrogels and nonhydrogels.
• Hydrogel coatings are composed of materials that absorb water many
times their weight and become swollen and slippery so that a glove is
easily donned.
• Nonhydrogels repel water, and the topography of the coating mimics
the characteristics of a powdered surface
 3. POWDER-FREE COAGULANTS
AND COATINGS
• Several glove manufacturers are using glove processes that do not involve
powders. The technique uses the previously mentioned coatings coupled with
a powderless coagulant. Typically, a coagulant contains a release agent
(powder) to facilitate stripping, or removal, of the finished glove from the
glove former. Powder-free coagulants that do not require powder to release
the glove from the former have been developed. Organic release agents are
being used as substitutes for the powder. Tack and grip can be controlled to
provide the glove user with the desired characteristics.
• In some cases, modifications to the latex formulation and/or processing
produce a dryer, less tacky rubber, eliminating the need for all powders.
• The non-use of powder in the glove manufacturing process has eliminated the
need for washing and chlorination. However, this may affect the latex protein
content of NR gloves, because washing and chlorination are excellent
techniques for reducing extractable allergenic materials.
 HOW SHOULD GLOVES BE STORED TO
AVOID DEGRADATION?
• The shelf life of the gloves is estimated at 3-5 years (depending on the type of
glove) from the date of manufacture. The storage period is applicable provided the
following storage conditions are adhered.
• Rotate the supply of gloves so that the oldest supply is used first
• Keep gloves in their original box until they are needed
• Avoid direct sun and fluorescent lighting
• Stored with temperature not exceeding 40 degree C
• Storage area should not contain equipment that generate ozone; example: x-ray
machines, mercury vapor lamps, high voltage electrical appliances or appliances
that give rise to electrical sparks or discharges
• Avoid direct contact to metals
• Avoid contact with oil-based antiseptic phenols, greases, petroleum jelly, spirit,
parafins and other related compounds
 MEDICAL GLOVES
(EXAMINATION AND SURGICAL GLOVES)

• There are two main types of medical

gloves: examination and surgical.
• Surgical gloves have more precise sizing with
a better precision and sensitivity and are made to
a higher standard.
• Examination gloves are available as either sterile
or non-sterile, while surgical gloves are generally
sterile.
 MEDICAL GLOVES TESTING STANDARDS
1 Dimensions
2 Freedom from Holes ASTM D3578-2005
3 Tensile Properties ASTM D5151-2006
4 Ageing ASTM D5250-2006
ASTM D6319-2005
SMG, 2ed.: 2004

1 Dimensions
2 Watertightness
3 Tensile Properties MS 1155:2003
4 Ageing

1 Dimensions
2 Watertightness
3 Tensile Properties AS/NZS 4011-1997
4 Cuff rupture resistance
1 Dimensions
2 Watertightness
3 Tensile Properties ISO 11193-1:2008
4 Ageing
1 Watertightness EN 455-1(Part 1):2000
1 Dimensions
2 Strength Properties
EN 455-2(Part 2):2000
3 Seam strength of seamed gloves
SURGICAL GLOVES TESTING STANDARDS
1 Dimensions
2 Tensile Properties
ASTM D3577-2006
3 Ageing
4 Freedom from Holes
1 Watertight test EN 455-1:2000
1 Dimensions
2 Tensile Properties
MS 1291:1992
3 Ageing
4 Watertightness
1 Dimensions
2 Watertightness
ISO 10282:2002
3 Tensile Properties
AS/NZS4179:1997
4 Ageing
5 Cuff Rupture resistance
1 Dimensions
2 Strength Properties
EN 455-2:2000
3 Seam strength of
seamed gloves
 1. WATERTIGHT TEST
ASTM D5151 is the Standard Test Method for Detection of Holes in
Medical Gloves, often referred to as the “watertight test or “water
leak” test. In this test, the gloves are each filled with 1000 ml of
water at room temperature, secured at the cuff and hung vertically
for two minutes to check for pinhoes. If water does not leak from the
glove, it gets a“pass.”

The current FDA mandated maximum AQL for examination and

cleanroom gloves on this test is 2.5%, down from the previous 4.0%
prior to December 2008. Some gloves, however, are manufactured
and tested to meet the lower AQL of 1.5% required for surgical
gloves. This means higher quality and fewer pinholes.

#AQL – Acceptable Quality Level

 2. TENSILE TEST
A tensile test is a fundamental mechanical test where a carefully
prepared specimen is loaded in a very controlled manner while
measuring the applied load and the elongation of the specimen over
some distance.
 DEFECTS ; CAUSES AND REMEDIES

• 1. Pinholes, craters and blisters

• 2. Webbing
• 3. Mud cracking
• 4.Transverse striation
• 5. Blank spot
• 6.Lumpy deposit
1. Pinholes, craters and blisters
• Probably the largest number of defects encountered in
articles produces by dipping come under this heading
• The usual cause is air bubbles entrapped in the latex
• The remedy is to allow sufficient time for the air bubbles
to rise out of the latex and then to scavenge the surface
of the bath with absorbent paper or a float
• Reduced pressure may also be applied in order to assist
bubble removal
Delamination and blister
2. Webbing
• This term is applied to the formation of liquid
films or web between adjacent formers or
between adjacent parts of the same former
• The cause is obscure but is related to the
surface free energy of the latex compound
• Various anti webbing additives have been
suggested from time to time , all of them
effective in varying degrees
3. Mud cracking
• It occasionally happens that cracking of the
deposits occurs during drying out of deposit.
• The appearance is like that of drying mud
• The cause of this defect is that the wet gel
strength or cohesive strength of the drying
deposit is insufficient to support the forces of
contraction which are induced through
drying
4. Transverse Striation
• These are caused by uneven wetting of the former during
immersion
• Uneven wetting may be caused by uneven movement of
the bath or by too slow a rate of immersion
5. Blank Spot
• These are usually caused by traces of grease upon the
surface of the former
• Attention to the cleaning of the former is required
• Over stable latex may also give rise to thin or blank spot
6. Lumpy Deposit
• The usual cause is skin on the surface of the latex bath
• Such skin may be formed by evaporation of water from the surface
 OTHER LATEX DIPPING PRODUCTS:
BABY PACIFIER
• Pacifiers generally have three parts: the
nipple; the guard, which rests on the baby's
lips; and the ring attached at the center of
the guard.
• It is usually of latex or silicone and is
occasionally of hard plastic. The guard is
firmly attached to the nipple and prevents
ingestion of the nipple by the child.
• Increasingly, pacifier manufacturers believe
that the nipple and mouth guard should be
of one material and molded together so
that the two do not have to be fused during
the manufacturing process.
 BABY PACIFIERS CONT’
• Proteins are found in natural rubber that have caused severe allergic reactions in
some consumers. Most manufacturers are either eliminating latex from their
products lines as a result, or are treating the latex to counteract the effect of these
proteins on consumers. In addition, latex does not survive repeated "boil and cool
tests" in which the product is boiled, cooled, and then assessed for its ability to retain
shape and perform successfully. Latex disintegrates more quickly than other
substances during these tests. This is of concern as pacifiers cannot be repeatedly
boiled or washed for sterilization without risk of disintegration.
• The raw material of choice for American pacifiers is silicone, more expensive than
latex but of superior performance. Silicones are synthetic polymers that are relatively
chemically inert, stable at high temperatures, and resist oxidation. Thus, silicone is
able to survive the boil and cool cycle far better than latex and therefore superior for
products requiring sterilization. Some pacifier manufacturers buy silicone that is
"certified," meaning it is of a superior grade for use.
 OTHER LATEX DIPPING PRODUCTS:
CONDOM
• Condoms are manufactured using prevulcanised natural polyisoprene latex, HMR10 Revultex.
• The latex is supplied ready for use, only requiring dilution with deionised water.
• HMR10 Revultex latex has a fairly high modulus and a good ageing property.
• All ingredients used in HMR10 Revultex latex comply with the generally applicable sections of
FDA requirements.
• Condoms are manufactured using the dipping process.
• The diagram below illustrates the different processes and equipment of the condom dipping
machine.
 CONDOM FORMING CONT’.
• The glass formers are washed properly and brush -dried before they are
dipped into the first latex tank. After the formers have withdrawn from the
first tank, they are passed through the oven to dry the film before a second
dip in the latex compound. The formers with a thin layer of latex then pass
through an oven to partially gel the latex film. They are then passed through
the beading station which consists os a set of brushes to form a ring at the
open end of the condom. the formers are then passed through an oven for
final drying and vulcanisation.

• Before the condoms are stripped off from the formers, the formers are
dipped into a leaching tank whereby all soluble chemicals and proteins in
the latex film are removed.

• The formers are then rinsed with fresh water before drying and a complete
cycle is completed.

• The wet condoms that are all collected are then mixed is powder-slurry
water before drying in a tumbling dryer.
 CONDOM FORMING CONT’.
• Electronic testing
The dried condoms are later inspected visually, and then 100% electronically tested (see
description of Electronic Testing Machine) in a high voltage pin-hole testing machine. The
testing principle is based on the following : The condom is pulled manually over a metal
mandrel and rotated against a counter-rotating contoured test conductive rubber brush. A
high voltage current is applied between the mandrel and the test rubber brush. A condom,
having pin-hole will allow electricity to pass from the mandrel to the rubber brush and hence
register it as a 'reject' and is collected in a separate container. The 'good' condoms are
rolled automatically and sent for final packaging.

• Foil Packaging
Condoms which passed the sampling and acceptance level, will be sent for foiling. This is
done by a heat sealing machine (see Technical Data). Condoms are placed manually on
the feeding belt, transported and automatically squeezed into the cells of the sealing
cylinders. During this operation, a direct contact of the condom takes place with the foil
(heat sealable film) which are taken from two reel and sealed hermetically. The condoms
are pre-lubricated with silicon fluid along the feeding belt of the packaging machine.
 OTHER LATEX DIPPING PRODUCTS:
FOLEY CATHETER
• A catheter is a flexible tube made of latex, silicone, or Teflon that can be
inserted into the body creating a channel for the passage of fluid or the
entry of a medical device.
• Nowadays, there are many specialized catheter designs. For example,
specific catheter designs allow catheters to be used in pulmonary,
cardiac (vascular), neonatal, central nervous system, and epidural
tissues.
• Catheters are designed to perform tissue ablation (tissue removal) and
even serve as conduits for thermal, optics, and various medical devices.