Coating functionalized with silicon carbide for cut-resistant protective glove

Abstract

Workers’ hands are at the highest risk of being affected by harmful factors in the work environment and upper limb injury is the most widespread type of workplace accident occurring during the performance of manual tasks. The protective properties of glove materials may be improved by continuous or spot coating [1–2] with polymeric materials such as poly(vinyl chloride), polyurethane, silicone, and natural or nitrile rubber [3–6]. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effects of different size of particles added to a polymer material applied onto a textile carrier on the cut resistance of the resulting material. Knitted aramid textile samples were coated in laboratory conditions using a polymer paste that was functionalized with silicon carbide (SiC) reinforcing particles of three different size fractions. On the basis of the research it was found that the smallest size of SiC particles had the greatest effect on increasing cut resistance.