Chemical protective clothing: a comparison of chemical permeation test cells and direct-reading instruments

Chemical permeation of acetone through unsupported Neoprene using the ASTM cell and another commercially-available, but smaller, test cell was compared. Also, different portable direct-reading instruments were used to determine breakthrough time and steady-state permeation. The breakthrough times between the two permeation cells and among different portable direct-reading instruments were not statistically different. However, steady-state permeation rates between the two cells using the same direct-reading instrument were statistically different. Chemical permeation test methods suitable for field evaluation of chemical protective clothing are discussed.