Researchers 3D print first high-performance latex gloves

Cranfield University researchers built a custom 3D printer, 3D-PEP, that sprays pre-vulcanized latex onto a heated ceramic hand mold to produce natural rubber gloves with mechanical properties within the range of commercial ones. Tensile strength reached 19.2 MPa and maximum strain 767%, but projected output of about 1,008 surgical gloves per day is roughly two orders of magnitude below conventional dipping lines.

• Tensile strength of 19.2 MPa vs 22.7 MPa for exam and 25.9 MPa for surgical gloves
• Maximum strain of 767%, between exam (707.6%) and surgical (782.7%) benchmarks
• Printed samples ranged from 0.093 mm to 0.246 mm mean thickness
• One 3D-PEP unit yields ~1,008 surgical gloves per day vs 130,000–250,000 for dipping lines