TPE gloves are very few demand in the world, and price is close to PVC glove, not many users prefer to change to use the TPE glove. But the users increase every year, not only the price, but also the environment. TPE gloves are all thinner than vinyl gloves, that means no matter during manufacture or destroy them. It will use less energy, and also it not use plasticization, so will be helpful to environment too.
Today, after the COVID-19, more and more persons try to use it to replace of PVC, vinyl and Nitrile gloves and learn it, and i think will use it more in the future, also will promote the development of the TPE glove and material industry.
According to the embossing, mainly divide into 3 types. From the first type super tiny smooth embossing to square diamond embossing, all types depends on the customers and users need.
Super tiny smooth embossing:
Disposable TPE gloves is devised to take place of Vinyl gloves or PVC gloves, so it need to be similar to them. This first type super tiny embossing makes the TPE film very smooth and soft, feel very nice and fit hands well. Smooth type makes it slip and can make sure when you use them to make sticky food, it will not dirty your hands and sticky on your hand, will make your works easier.
Square Diamond embossing:
Most of works need non-slip gloves, because they need to catch tools. In this week, we create and developed new type square diamond embossing TPE gloves, to meet customers’ requirements. Though it still can’t be as sticky as hands and Nitrile gloves, but can meet most works, and also when you wear it, you will feel more and more sticky.
CPE gloves embossing:
Though diamond embossing TPE gloves is most sticky in all TPE gloves, but it is difficult to produce and also we blackbox plastic has the patents. So many factories use normal CPE gloves embossing to sell, and also it is more sticky than smooth gloves of course. Diamond, square is the most popular in this divide. But it is so similar to CPE gloves, and also it feels not so soft as normal TPE gloves, it is not popular in market and users.
Length, mainly it is 255 mm to 260 mm, shorter than CPE gloves, but similar and little longer than Vinyl and PVC gloves. In Japanese market, 280 mm is most popular. 280mm can protect users’ wrist better than 255mm, so welcome more.
Weight, normally it is 1.9 gram per piece for Medium size or 2.0 gram for Medium size. Some customers require thicker type to be similar to Vinyl and PVC glove, 3.2 gram even 3.5 gram, very very strong. But not as soft as thinner gloves, so we don’t suggest customers to choose those types, not economical, and feeling not good.
As to comparison to Vinyl gloves even Nitrile gloves, TPE gloves are easier to wear and take off. But easily to drop off even during using, so we develop new model type to solve this feedback from customers. Wrist contractive and waist contractive new models are very good solution for it.
Here i show you a video how it works and performance. Click this photo, it’s on our factory’s face book.
Why TPE gloves created
At the very early year, PE gloves are created for daily use, very very cheap, but very very thin and too vulnerable to protect people in longer work or long time using. Then CPE gloves are developed by a new type film making technology, with much higher temperature, though the material almost same. But film tensile and elongation is much better and can bear harder and longer time work, especially for home kitchen and food prepare.
Some restaurant and food factory think it’s still weak and can’t afford their work requirements, they prefer the Nitrile glove or PVC gloves. But Nitrile gloves are very expensive, and factory will use and waste a lot during daily working. So some customers want to have another choice to use other cheaper healthy gloves, then TPE gloves developed.
TPE gloves are not some special material gloves, just add some better tensile material into the CPE gloves to improve the tensile and elongation. Also the quality with the sealing and the film, it can meet AQL 1.5 water test, so can meet the factories’ requirement. The price is only 30% of Nitrile even less, with cheaper material the price can be down to 20%.
TPE Gloves VS Vinyl Gloves
TPE gloves are developed to replace vinyl gloves finally. Because vinyl gloves are not environmental welcome. It contain Vinyl, plasticizers, and much heavier, also it is a waste of energy. No matter TPE or Vinyl gloves can’t biodegradable easily, so after using, we need to recycle them. Vinyl gloves also called PVC gloves, TPE gloves also called generation 2 CPE gloves.
Material
TPE gloves mainly use TPE and MLLDPE, LLDPE, LDPE mixed material to produce, all material are green and recyclable. Though they are not biodegradable, but they are cheap and easy to make, no smell and can use longer. Vinyl gloves mainly use vinyl, plasticizers, because vinyl contain chlorine, also the plasticizers are not stable in the glove film. They are easy to separate out when heat or touch acidic or alkaline things, so it is not welcome in food contact.
Production
Vinyl gloves is made by production line, from mixed material to dipping, the film will stay on the glove model, and after drying, it will be taken off from the model and can be worn. So during the production, we can’t easily stop it when we found any problem. TPE glove is stamping from TPE film, TPE film making from the film making machines, like T-die, blowing machines. It’s two steps, so when we found any problem, we can just stop stamping and after we solve the mistakes. We start again as we want. So as usual, TPE gloves is easy to increase the capacity.
Price
Vinyl gloves price is much higher than TPE gloves, though the material is cheaper. Vinyl material is around USD 1800 per ton, TPE material is around USD 3000 per ton. But the production cost is different, Vinyl gloves need much more energy than TPE gloves. Also the machines cost, one Vinyl gloves production line need around USD 1 million dollars, and daily capacity is 250,000 pieces.
And the same capacity for disposable TPE gloves only need around 0.06 million dollars! That mean if you invest 1 million dollars, you can have 250,000 pieces per day vinyl production line or 4,000,000 pieces per day TPE glove production machines. Totally different costs cause different prices. Vinyl gloves price now is around USD 35 per 1000 pieces, and TPE gloves price now is around USD 8.2per 1000 pieces. That’s why more than more persons choose TPE gloves.
Quality
Both two types gloves have 4 quality levers, AQL 1.5, AQL 2.5, AQL 4.0 and no quality requirement. But both types can’t used in surgical operation, Vinyl glove contain too much plasticizers, so it is forbidden in food contact industry, but TPE gloves is popular in it. Vinyl glove strength is not strong enough to use in surgical operation. TPE glove can approve, but it is sealed glove, no hospital will use it for medical purpose. Tensile and elongation is similar.
Purpose
They both can used in general purpose, such as cleaning, clear, food prepare, nursing, repair, touch. But because Vinyl gloves is seamless, TPE gloves is seam gloves, so some users prefer Vinyl gloves. Friction is similar, also lab mainly use Nitrile gloves or Vinyl gloves.
TPE Gloves VS PE Gloves
They are both made from film, TPE film made by T-die casting machine, PE film made by blowing machine, and same stamping machines.
Material
As both called PE material, so their main material is nearly the same, also TPE material can be blown too. MLLDPE, LDPE, LLDPE are the main materials of two gloves.
Production
Bowling film machine is cheaper than T-DIE casting film machine. One T-die casting film machine can buy 5 more blowing machine, but T-die casting film machine can produce more than 2 tons film one day. One blowing machine can produce around 0.6 ton film, stamping machines are similar price. Melt mixed material, then stamp, these two steps will make the seam gloves.
Price
TPE gloves is expensive than PE ones, because the TPE gloves is double heavier than PE gloves. The price is nearly 3 times expensive, so the reason is not only the weight, also the production method. Though it’s 3 times expensive, but the price is still very cheap. PE gloves price is around USD 2.0-3.5, TPE gloves price is around USD 7.0-12.0 per thousand pieces. Packing way is also a very important reason for it. Some packing style even expensive than gloves self.
Packing
TPE gloves are mainly packing in box and bags, these packing style are also main for PE gloves. But PE gloves also have deli packing style, it also called hang glove or easy wear glove.
Quality
PE and TPE gloves are totally different quality lever, PE gloves can’t inspect as AQL lever, they are real disposable. AQL 1.5 TPE gloves even can use in hospital for medical examination, so it’s much stronger than PE glove. PE glove are very thin and not strong, so only use in few food contact or dust contact work, such as fast food kitchen.
Purpose
They are both used for food contact, but TPE gloves are much stronger than PE glove, so many food factory use TPE gloves for whole day work. It’s the most economical glove, because PE glove are too thin to use many time, Nitrile glove is too expensive.
Sizes
No matter PE or TPE gloves has many sizes, such as SSS, SS, XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, but like small size, though they both have small size, but totally different dimension. Same size glove, TPE glove is smaller than PE, like Vinyl glove, fits hand well, soft, good feeling. Because TPE glove is much stronger than PE. It can be like that, but PE glove can’t, because they are thin, are not strong, easy to broken. If you use such small dimension size PE glove, it will be broken very easily when using.
Colour
They both has transparent, translucent, blue and black.
Degradable
Both can’t biodegradable, can recycle well, but TPE gloves is better than PE gloves. It will be biodegradable around 20 years, but PE gloves will need around 100 years.
TPEgloves’production process
Easy production method, film casting and glove stamping, but not means easy producing. Gloves are easy to have broken glove when producing, because the quantity is too much. One stamping machine can produce around 100,000 pieces per day, one casting film machine can make around 2-3 tons per day, these film can make around 400,000 pieces.
Film casting
Mixed the material and melt it to around 220 degree, film model set around the same 220 degree. Suddenly cool down the film with emboss if needed, after it cool down, the film is stable. And cut it into small width that fit glove models, then roll the film on the tubes to rolls.
Different formula needs different temperature, too high temperature will cause the film turn yellow, and even will cause some black burnt plastic spot. Too low temperature will cause the material don’t melt completely, will cause some white plastic spot and big hole. So suitable temperature is very important in film producing.
Glove stamping
After film making, we get the film rolls. Two rolls needed to make the glove, because the glove has two layers of film. Glove models is very hot like 300 degree, much more than melt temperature, because the speed normally is very high, like 130 pieces per minute. It cause the machines need to be very stable that can’t take mistake in a whole day or some hours. Every mistake on the machine will cause to produce lots of defective gloves. Model releasing oil and High-Temperature Resistance Paper needs in the middle of models and film.
Quality Control and Identification
After the world happens to spread COVID-2019, gloves are needed much more than before, and no matter factories and distributors all want to sell them and have them. New distributors want to win the new market quickly and want to earn more in short time, so more and more factories start to produce it even some cloths factory.
How a new factory can supply a good quality disposable TPE gloves in such short time? I don’t believe! No matter how much you buy, quality is the most important. Because defective gloves will cause you infecting the bacteria even some clean area, particularly in hospital and live animals. So we must choose the best TPE gloves when we buy.
Factory found years or brand establish years
Why i put this on the first point, because i don’t believe that such new factories or brand can supply good quality in very short time producing experience. Though it is a very simple product, but it is very fast speed production, workers’ experience is very important. So i suggest when you choose it, you need to know how many years the producer founded, more than 10 years experience is the best supplier. I don’t suggest you choose those factories that only start to produce less than 3 years.
Glove Feeling
More and more factories don’t observe the original formula, some new factories even don’t have formula, just use very common strength PE material like MLLDPE to replace the TPE material. But no matter what you use, if you feel the gloves hard and not soft, that means they cheat you, and use less TPE material. No matter which kind of TPE, if they use less than 25% percent, the glove will feel very hard.
Blow up the gloves
Blow up one piece of glove, you can find whether it is strong enough during working. Strong seam break tensile is very important for TPE gloves, it should be above 2.0 N. If under pressure, you will hear brisk sound, that means it good.
Here i also finger out the most defective gloves, and how they happened during producing.
One layer film gloves
Those gloves can’t be used, and nobody can bear it. When workers produce the gloves, during the production, the film roll suddenly break inside, then there will be only one film on the glove. It will cause some pieces of one layer film glove, when the worker find it, it already has some beside the gloves. So the workers need to throw them away, if the worker don’t throw it, there will be some pieces packed into box.
Big hole on gloves
Most is because the film melt temperature, too high will cause black spot and big hole, too low will cause white spot and big hole.
Less fingers
Some gloves has 4 fingers or one layer 5 fingers, but another layer is 4. Those are because one layer of film is move to left or right, not in the middle. If the middle finger is cut, that is because the machine has problem in the motor.
A lot of black spots
Material is dirty or lots of burnt plastic.
Big hole on glove edge
If the glove edge has big hole no matter where, that must because the glove is not easy to tear off the film. It has 3 reasons: broken High-Temperature Resistance Paper, less glove model pressure, thicker film.
Fly, mosquito, hair, or big dust in the gloves or packages
That must because the factory doesn’t have good quality control system. Fly, mosquito, big dust from working environment, not enclosed space at all. Hair is because the workers don’t wear hats to wrap up it.
Above are unacceptable defective TPE gloves, i think these are the base of any factories’ quality system, and if one factory happens more than 2 such big quality accidents in one year, those factories are not good of course, we don’t suggest you to choose them.
Some smaller defective are acceptable if in AQL 4.0 lever, because too many quantities that gloves are in one container, we can’t promise that there will be non defective glove at all. But AQL 4.0 is requested.
Choose YourMost ValueTPEGloves
Talked about so many kinds of disposable TPE gloves, how to choose the type is very important. Cheap price, good quality to cover your demand is the best choice.
Choose the good brand is your firstly choice, Amercare, Bitoor, Blackbox plastic are both best TPE gloves quality in the world now.
Choose the right type for you, if you only need it to wash things or clean, you just need the value type, maybe a little harder than others, but enough. If you need them to work in the hospital, then you need use the best one, the premium thick diamond embossed type. Even i suggest you to use CPE gloves if only to clean dust or use it to eat things.
Choose the right size for yourhand
TPE gloves is similar to Vinyl gloves, so what size you use for vinyl or PVC gloves, please choose the same size.
Use a ruler to measure your palm width, as shown in the illustration, and then write down your dimension.
When you choose seamless gloves, if your palm width is less than 8 cm, please choose to use the small size. If it is between 8-9 cm, please choose medium size. If it is 9 to 10, please choose large size. Of course, not everyone’s palm size is in this range. Some hands are smaller or bigger, we also have XS or XL for persons’choosing.
The development direction of TPEgloves
TPE gloves is so good, much cheaper than Vinyl gloves, and much better than PE gloves, so many factories and distributors want to develop it.
TPE gloves also have many no good performance, such as not resilience, too slip, not as strong as Nitrile gloves. To solve these bad weak points, we have tried a lot work. Such as to add some TPU into it to improve the resilience, or some SEBS, but TPU is too expensive, SEBS is not good to produce. Use both side embossing side to make it more grip, make it non slip.. Use special glove model to make it not easy to tear off hands and can use it much longer. Use stronger MLLDPE to make the seam tensile much better.
Many, many different method and ideas from customers or ourselves. Also We found the price is still what users care about. We start to use auto machines to produce to reduce the cost.
The current situation of TPE gloves
As the price of Vinyl gloves and Nitrile gloves prices coming down quickly, the TPE gloves’ price has gone down too, though not as fast as Vinyl gloves, but it is more value than ever before.
The future of TPE gloves
No matter how good it is, how bad you think, it is already accepted by lots of users, and has got many fans, but still many users don’t accept it.
It surely will be biodegradable in the future or even stronger than now, with recycle system in all over the world. I think the both situation will appear in the future, because too many things that use plastic, not only gloves. Plastic is the most useful thing, which the world can’t leave it away, like the petroleum.
A simplearticle, hope you can learn something with the TPE gloves. If any future information or suggestions, please feel free to contact me and discuss with me.
The newest market information for TPE gloves-2021.09.18
More and more gloves has poured into the market, not only TPE gloves, but the market don’t need so many gloves, so the price suddenly drop down to bottom, even cheaper than the price before COVID-2019. Vinyl gloves and Nitrile gloves’ price also drop down, so many medical purpose use Nitrile or PVC gloves has turned back to them.
This exacerbate the price and also influence the factory production, lots TPE gloves factories has stopped to produce it after March of 2021, and some factories only open half lines. And another bad news is the material and crowd sea shipping lines, some new factories are already bankruptcy. But of course some factories like us are still busy, and focus on supplying the best TPE gloves and try to develop more economic type and more beautiful gloves to the market.
Hope it is useful and helpful in your future work and life. I wish you can like the disposable TPE gloves and can develop better types, also hope it can defend you in future.
Thank you a lot for your reading, best regards!Wish you healthy and wealthy!
