The latex glove manufacturing process is a complex multi-stage process, during which the raw material undergoes many physical and chemical operations.
Table 2 below details the different stages of glove manufacturing and the effect of each process on substances which can cause allergic reactions - a plus (+) indicates an increase in these substances while a minus (-) indicates a reduction.
| Stage | Type I Allergy | Type IV Allergy |
|---|---|---|
| Harvesting of Latex. | ||
| Addition of preservative | -- | + |
| Centrifugation | -- | |
| Compounding | + | |
| Dipping | ||
| Pre-vulcanisation Leaching | -- | -- |
| Vulcanisation | ||
| Stripping | ||
| Post-vulcanisation leaching. | -- | -- |
| Drying | ||
| Lubrication or chlorination. | + or -- (see text) | |
| Checking | ||
| Packaging |