# Compatibility Matrix: Metals, Oils, Plastics, and Skin Products

Human page: https://retifist.com/literature-reviews/compatibility-matrix-metals-oils-plastics

> **Safety.** Solvent cements and some oils are flammable. Oil on latex film can chemically damage the rubber as well as being a barrier issue. Read the product SDS.

## Executive summary

Never / avoid / conditional / OK grid for contact with natural rubber. Cured NR film takes copper-catalyzed aging and oil swell regardless of how the film was made.[^3][^4] Wet latex compound is a separate contact state: brass, copper, and wet galvanized fittings are never acceptable.[^1][^2] Petroleum and mineral-oil skin products can chemically damage thin NR barriers.[^5][^6]

Fastener taxonomy: [Sheet Hardware & Metal Contact](/literature-reviews/sheet-hardware-metal-contact), [Liquid Hardware & Metal Contact](/literature-reviews/liquid-hardware-metal-contact).

---

## Ratings

| Rating | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Never** | Sources forbid the contact. |
| **Avoid** | Sources treat the contact as harmful. |
| **Conditional** | Allowed only under stated conditions. If sources give none, **no data**. |
| **OK** | Sources name the contact as acceptable. |

---

## Metals

| Contact | Wet latex compound | Cured NR film | Why |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Brass / copper / bronze | **Never** | **Avoid** direct | Serious deterioration of rubber in latex; catalytic poison[^1][^4] |
| Galvanized (wet) | **Never** | **Avoid** wet | Coagulum in liquid; wet zinc-coated steel on film[^1] |
| Black iron / stainless (clean) | **OK** with hygiene | **Conditional** | Plant fittings: black iron or stainless[^1] |
| Unknown plated snap | — | **Avoid** until verified | Finish label ≠ substrate. See sheet hardware. |

Dipped-goods equipment and leach-water fittings: keep copper, brass, and galvanized iron out of latex and leach contact.[^2]

**Conditional: clean black iron or stainless on cured film.** Handbook accepts those metals for wet-latex fittings when clean.[^1] Sweat in a hardware crevice on worn film is the wear-side condition. Wear-time rating: **no data**.

---

## Oils and plasticizers

| Contact | Cured NR film | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Petroleum / mineral-oil skin product | **Avoid** on wear surface | Oil-based creams deteriorate latex gloves[^5][^6] |
| Silicone polish / lube | **Conditional** | Garment ranking: **no data** |
| NR vs CR vs XNBR oil resistance | CR and XNBR beat NR | Glove-film order: NR < CR < XNBR[^7] |

IRM reference oils: ASTM D471 method class (swell / tensile / hardness on vulcanized rubber). Ranking tool, not a garment certificate.[^8]

---

## Plastics

| Material | Wet latex storage | Cured film contact | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PE / PP (clean) | **Conditional** | **Conditional** | See blurbs |
| Soft PVC | **Avoid** long soak | **Avoid** | Plasticizer migration risk |

**Conditional: PE / PP for wet latex.** Clean PE/PP appears as a lab-storage option. Condition: known grade, clean bottle. Brand-by-brand ratings: **no data**.

**Conditional: PE / PP against cured film.** No sourced wear rating for film against PE/PP. **no data**.

---

## Skin and body products

Not medical advice. NIOSH/OSHA rows are glove-film rows.

Petroleum / mineral-oil creams: **Avoid** on the wear surface.[^5][^6]

Sunscreen, perfume, silicone lube: **Conditional**. Fashion-film ratings: **no data**.

---

<details>
<summary>Deep dive: Copper catalysis and antioxidant reserve</summary>

Trace copper catalyzes unsaturated-rubber degradation. Sudsai: copper oleate catalyst; dark spots from copper in containers.[^4] Fatty-acid salts of Cu, Mn, Fe catalyze oxidation.[^3]

Copper-exposed NR or CR latex film: **2 phr** total antioxidant. One phr for oxidation, one phr reserve for copper. Antioxidant is consumed as film ages; short reserve → early copper failure.[^3]

</details>

<details>
<summary>Deep dive: Oil-swell method class</summary>

ASTM D471: effect of oils, greases, fuels on vulcanized rubber. Use to rank liquids, not as apparel certification.[^8]

</details>

---

## Endnotes

[^1]: Vanderbilt Latex Handbook — reception and storage of bulk latex; metal fittings (brass/copper deterioration; galvanized coagulum; black iron / stainless acceptable).
[^2]: Vanderbilt Latex Handbook — dipped gloves; no copper, brass, or galvanized iron in compounding, process, or leach-water fittings.
[^3]: Vanderbilt Latex Handbook — antioxidant recommendations; 2 phr total for copper protection; Cu/Mn/Fe fatty-acid salts as oxidation catalysts.
[^4]: Sudsai et al., ScienceAsia 43 (2017) — copper catalysis of NR oxidative degradation; container spots.
[^5]: NIOSH Publication 97-135 — oil-based hand creams deteriorate latex gloves.
[^6]: OSHA Standard Interpretation 1993-08-24 — petroleum / mineral-oil skin products incompatible with latex gloves.
[^7]: Vanderbilt Latex Handbook — glove-film oil resistance order (NR &lt; CR &lt; XNBR).
[^8]: ASTM D471 — liquids (oils, greases, fuels) on vulcanized rubber; method class.