Study on the cut-resistant properties of UHMWPE knitted gloves coated with water-based polyurethane

Abstract

The article presents a comparative study of water-based polyurethane (PU)-coated ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) gloves knitted at various gauges on a seamless glove knitting machine in terms of their cut-resistance and thermal comfort properties. The gloves used in this study are made of composite yarns that consist of UHMWPE multifilament in the sheath and E-glass multifilament/stainless-steel wire in the core. The results indicate that 13-gauge UHMWPE gloves offer the best balance of dexterity and physical handling properties compared to 60-micron steel wire-reinforced UHMWPE (10 gauge) gloves and 40-micron steel wire reinforced-UHMWPE (15-gauge) gloves. Additionally, to achieve higher cut-performance Levels, composite UHMWPE yarns are developed using 30, 50 and 70-micron wires and 100 and 200 denier glass filaments in the core. These final composite yarns are knitted on a 13-gauge glove knitting machine. It is observed that the 13-gauge-70-micron stainless-steel wire HPT-13W-70 UHMWPE gloves provide the highest level of mechanical protection, making them ideal for industrial use.