Abstract: A surgical glove has inner and outer surfaces. At least one of the surfaces is treated with a treatment consisting of a non-ionic hydrocarbon solution with a carbon chain in the range of 8-16 and containing a hydrophilic functionality with a pH within the range 4.5-6.5. After treatment, the treated surface or surfaces are dried, the glove packaged and then irradiated. The treatment controls the initial contact angle of the surface to be less than 70 degrees, so that liquid material will spread quickly across the treated surface or surfaces, thereby ensuring that the presence of the liquid, indicative of the glove having been compromised, is visible to the wearer or other observer as quickly as possible.

Abstract: A polychloroprene article comprises a polymer which is more readily chlorinatable that polychloroprene. A method of making the article comprises forming the article from an aqueous dispersion or solution of polychloroprene, characterized in that one or more polymers which are more readily chlorinatable than polychloroprene are included in said dispersion or solution. Preferably, the article is a polychloroprene glove containing carboxylated nitrile rubber, carboxylated styrene butadiene or polyisoprene.

Abstract: A surgical glove has inner and outer surfaces. At least one of the surfaces is treated with a treatment consisting of a non-ionic hydrocarbon solution with a carbon chain in the range of 8-16 and containing a hydrophilic functionality with a pH within the range 4.5-6.5. After treatment, the treated surface or surfaces are dried, the glove packaged and then irradiated. The treatment controls the initial contact angle of the surface to be less than 70 degrees, so that liquid material will spread quickly across the treated surface or surfaces, thereby ensuring that the presence of the liquid, indicative of the glove having been compromised, is visible to the wearer or other observer as quickly as possible.

Abstract: A glove comprises a hand portion and a wrist portion extending from the hand portion and terminates in a hand insertion opening. The wrist portion includes anti-roll down/anti-rucking means in the form of a band of friction enhancing material provided on a surface which, in use, will form the inside of the glove, whereby, in use, the friction enhancing portion contacts the sleeve of a garment worn by the user so as to increase friction against the wrist portion of the glove, thereby preventing roll-down/rucking of the glove. The friction enhancing material is applied prior to any finishing operation(s) which reduce(s) the residual tack of the glove material and is selected from a group of materials whose tack is substantially unaffected by the finishing operation.

Abstract: An elastomeric article includes a region that is covered with adhesive material, the adhesive material being partially coated with slippery material so as to reduce the surface area of exposed adhesive material, thereby controlling the amount of adhesion exhibited by said region. The elastomeric article is formed with a region of adhesive material, and a slippery material is applied so as to at least partially cover an underlying adhesive material. The slippery material may be applied so as to only partially cover the adhesive, or applied to completely cover the adhesive material and then etched using solvent to expose the underlying adhesive material, or applied in conjunction with a masking material.

Abstract: Natural rubber and/or synthetic polyisoprene film products having enhanced tear strength and tensile strength crosslinked with a one polynitrile oxide, intended for direct or indirect contact with living tissue or fluids to be placed in living organisms.

Abstract: A method of making a non-tacky, powder-free neoprene article, preferably by dipping a former in a neoprene or neoprene copolymer latex, comprises the use of one or more anionic anti-tack agents in order to prevent any significant development of tack for a period of up to at least seven days when the article is stored at 70° C. or at least 90 days when stored at 45° C. Preferably, the article is a glove or condom further comprising a layer of hydrogel.

Abstract: Pore-free rubber articles are prepared by dip-molding in a dipping medium that includes a vulcanizing agent, then by immersing the dip former in a heated liquid bath that is chemically inert. A particularly effective liquid bath is molten inorganic salt. In addition, the tensile properties of an article of vulcanized rubber can be improved to an unusually effective degree by immersing the already vulcanized article in a solution of a vulcanizing agent to cause the rubber of the article to absorb or imbibe the vulcanizing agent from the solution, and then immersing the rubber and the imbibed vulcanizing agent in a heated liquid bath to increase the degree of vulcanization.