Latex Test Procedure?

[Akimbo]

akirawut's http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/exposure-suits/342924-latex-seals-breaking-down.html post got me thinking — you can leave the room now if that prospect alone is too frightening.

Question: How can we inexpensively test the environment and chemicals that may cause Latex neck and arm seals to prematurely deteriorate? Since there are more variables than I have brain cells (save jokes for later), it is impractical for manufacturers to test every possible chemical cocktail your suit might be exposed to. Besides, selling replacement seals is not such a bad deal for them.

I respectfully submit the following methodology to Scubaboard members for peer review:

Test Materials:

• A box of Medical-grade powder-free Latex Gloves or another inexpensive source of suitable test media.
• Glass jars, preferably after the Peanut Butter is washed out
• Rubber bands that fit around the mouth of the glass jars
• Labels & writing device, that would be a pencil for fellow commercial divers

Assembly:

• Spread a small amount of the chemical, lotion, or concoction to be tested on the inside of the glove and inside the jar.
• Stretch the end of the glove over the jar and add a rubber band if necessary. You don’t need a hermetic seal, just one that does not let much vapor freely exchange with the outside.
• Label the outside of the jar with date, time, and what is inside.
• Also make some jars without any added chemicals to use for testing atmospheres and as scientific control samples.

Test Procedure:

• Place a control sample in a cool, dark, and well ventilated location
• Place one atmosphere sample and your collection of chemical samples in an out-of-the-way location in your diving locker (dive gear storage area)
• Periodically monitor the condition of your samples, perhaps monthly. After an extended period, perhaps 6 months, remove each glove and fill it with water to test for material degradation. Leaks, splits, and cracks would be failures as long as your control does not exhibit the same deterioration. I may not be wise to blow gloves up like a party balloon since you have no idea what may have been growing in there! :errrr:

This may sound like obsessive behavior, but drysuit failures are expensive and inconvenient at best. All suggestions and criticisms of the procedure are welcome.

Most of all, please post results of locations and/or chemicals that you find accelerate deterioration.

 

[Slamfire]

ASTM Site Search

 

[Akimbo]

ASTM Site Search

This is an excellent source. The limitation I see is it is hard, or too expensive, for everyone to know what vapors are in the air. There is also the issue of chemical cocktails; everything from skin lotion, sun screen, suit lube, and detergents. Some people may store their suit for months between seasons so concentrations can be pretty low and still cause damage.