Calcium carbonate instead of cornstarch as the releasing agent for powder-free surgery gloves

Abstract

This research investigated the feasibility of replacing cornstarch with calcium carbonate in surgery glove manufacturing. Cornstarch in slurry form is currently used as the releasing agent in order to prevent the gloves from sticking to the formers, to each other, and to the hands of the users. However, some people have a protein allergy and a skin infection can develop from the protein and bacteria contained in cornstarch. Therefore, calcium carbonate could be used as an alternative releasing agent. The quality of gloves prepared from different compositions of calcium carbonate in slurry form were assessed and compared with those of standard gloves prepared from various concentrations of cornstarch. As the amount of calcium carbonate increased, residual powder increased which resulted in high grip forces and stickiness, i.e. unsatisfactory donning. Calcium carbonate (5% w/w) resulted in comparable properties to gloves manufactured from 20% w/w cornstarch which suggested that calcium carbonate has potential application as the releasing agent in slurry form for surgery glove manufacturing.

Keywords

• calcium carbonate
• cornstarch
• surgery glove
• releasing agent
• donning