TOOLING UP: Ansell TouchNTuff™ 93-800: Chemical Protection Meets Dexterity

In this episode of MSC Industrial Supply’s Tooling Up, host Toni Neary sits down with Ansell’s Kevin Brennan to break down why traditional disposable gloves fall short when exposed to harsh solvents, and what that means for worker safety, productivity, and cost on the shop floor.

Watch time: 8:03 minutes

Supplier: Ansell

Posted date: Apr 13, 2026

Video series: Tooling Up , Season 6

Looking for full transcript of video? Read now

In this episode of Tooling Up, host Toni Neary is joined by Kevin Brennan from Ansell to explore one of the most persistent challenges in manufacturing environments: protecting workers from harsh chemicals like acetone without sacrificing dexterity or productivity. Standard disposable gloves often break down quickly when exposed to these solvents, leading to deformation, double gloving, and reduced efficiency on the shop floor.

Designed to address this gap, the Ansell TouchNTuff™ introduces a new approach to chemical protection in a disposable format. Viewers will gain insight into how this glove delivers extended resistance to acetone and other ketones, while also offering mechanical durability typically not found in disposable options.

At the center of the conversation is Ansell’s MicroChem technology, a multi-layer chemical barrier system engineered to slow permeation and provide more reliable protection. This innovation allows workers to maintain the comfort and tactility needed for precision tasks without defaulting to bulky reusable gloves that can limit performance.

The discussion also highlights real-world applications across industries such as aerospace, machinery, maintenance, and laboratory environments, where solvent exposure is common. With added benefits like reduced waste from eliminating double gloving and manufacturing processes focused on sustainability, the TouchNTuff 93-800 represents a shift toward safer, more efficient hand protection.

Watch the full episode to learn how Ansell is redefining what’s possible with disposable gloves, helping manufacturers improve safety, reduce costs, and maintain productivity in chemically demanding environments.

To learn more about the TouchNTuff™ 93-800 disposable glove from Ansell, visit mscdirect.com.

For even more safety insights and expertise, check out MSC's Knowledge Center.

For more Tooling Up videos, check out the MSC Tooling Up playlist and subscribe to our channel.

Video Transcript

Narrator: This video is brought to you by Ansell. Ansell is leading the world to a safer future. If you're looking for real-world insights, tips from leading industry experts, and the latest trends in products and technology, you've come to the right place. From MSC Industrial Supply, this is Tooling Up.

This video is brought to you by Ansell. Ansell is leading the world to a safer future. If you're looking for real-world insights and tips from leading industry experts, the latest trends in products and technology, you've come to the right place. From MSC Industrial Supply, this is Tooling Up.

TONI NEARY: Hi everyone, and welcome to Tooling Up. I'm your host, Toni Neary, and I am so glad that you've joined us today. Before we get started, let's take a moment and click those like and subscribe buttons so you never miss an episode from MSC and our industry partners. Today, we're talking about something that affects nearly every manufacturing environment: chemical safety and hand protection.

Common shop solvents like acetone and MEK can quickly break down standard disposable gloves. The material can stretch or deform, which often forces workers to double-glove or switch to bulky, reusable gloves that really limit their dexterity. So what if you could get real chemical protection from a disposable glove? Joining me is Kevin Brennan, the Associate Director of Category Management at Ansell.

And we're going to talk about a brand new solution designed specifically for this challenge. The TouchNTuff™ 93-800. Kevin, welcome to Tooling Up and thanks for joining us.

KEVIN BRENNAN: Hi, Toni. Thanks for having me.

TONI NEARY: So, Kevin, before we dive into the product, let's start by talking a little bit about you. Tell us a little bit about your role at Ansell and the kind of work that you focus on.

KEVIN BRENNAN: Sure. So I've been with Ansell for over 10 years. My background is primarily in marketing and business development. And then with Ansell, as I said 10 years, I started as an intern. I love the company. Still here, still going strong. And you know, I love the partnership here and love talking about innovation.

TONI NEARY: So, Kevin, you have so much direct connection and experience with your customers. Tell me a little bit about the challenges that they've shared about chemical protection over the years.

KEVIN BRENNAN: Yeah. With acetone, there's really never been a good solution in the market, right? So a lot of times, as you said, you're going to be using a big, bulky reusable glove where you can't work with small parts. Or, what you're doing is, you know, you're using disposable, and in those instances, a lot of the time, you know, it will have less than one minute of permeation.

So that will get into your skin. And that can even start to impact your central nervous system and if there's, like, enough prolonged exposure.

TONI NEARY: So I think when we're looking at the frequency of these chemicals being used, and then you're looking at the gloves that are deforming… people are double-gloving, you don't have the tactility, you're leading to more downtime, more waste, and higher costs. Right?

KEVIN BRENNAN: Exactly right. And that's what really pushed us to develop a disposable glove that can finally address this acetone challenge.

TONI NEARY: And Kevin, that brings us right to the TouchNTuff 93-800. What makes this glove different from what's already out there on the market?

KEVIN BRENNAN: You know, it's kind of cliche, but there really isn't anything else like it, right? So it's the first and only disposable glove in the market to give at least 15 minutes of resistance to acetone. And it also has about 10 minutes of resistance to other harsh ketones like MEK and MPK. And essentially it's designed specifically for acetone protection, right?

And it even has some mechanical properties, right? So it can protect against cut and abrasions, which is pretty uncommon for a disposable. There's really nothing else like that. So people will ask me about it. And essentially, it meets the EN 388 requirements for cut and abrasion protection.

TONI NEARY: And Kevin, one thing that really stood out to me is the technology behind this glove. So the 93-800 uses Ansell's MicroChem™ chemical barrier technology. Can you walk us through what that means and how it protects against chemicals like acetone?

KEVIN BRENNAN: Yeah. So that really is the key to this glove, right? So its multi-layer and multi-polymer for broad chemical resistance. So essentially what happens is there's some blended formulations within the market now, three different polymers, but the chemical will always find the path of least resistance within those polymer bonds. So if it's something that goes through nitrile quickly, it'll find that nitrile molecule within that polymer chain.

Whereas with ours, they will get stopped at the latex layer and then take longer to permeate through there, although it could go quicker through that nitrile layer. But that's really the key is the layers behind it, the MicroChem technology.

TONI NEARY: And that makes sense. So it's really the way that those layers work together that helps block the chemical.

KEVIN BRENNAN: Exactly, exactly. I mean, that's it, it's really all about the layers. It's about the MicroChem technology. It's about being better than the tri-polymer blended products that are out there.

TONI NEARY: And of course, protection’s critical. But we all know one of the number one problems with PPE, if it's uncomfortable or bulky, workers are way less likely to keep it on. So how does the 93-800 balance that chemical protection with comfort and dexterity?

KEVIN BRENNAN: Yeah, that's a great question because usability was a huge focus for us. So essentially, it hits a sweet spot between a reusable glove and a mechanical glove or a chemical glove, right? So it has the same resistance to acetone as a reusable glove, but it has the dexterity and tactility of a disposable. And essentially it just has that great feel without being restrictive.

TONI NEARY: And I think looking at having that tactility, especially with the significance of working with small mechanical parts, is really important. And especially when you're looking at there's so many industries that are affected by small parts or detailed work. So, where are you seeing the strongest demand for this type of protection?

KEVIN BRENNAN: It's actually a lot broader than you might think. We're seeing it in machinery equipment, aerospace, maintenance, the emerging green industry, just laboratory environments. It's just so common with painting and coating. And these gloves are silicone-free, which helps prevent surface contamination.

TONI NEARY: And I think that's a pretty wide range of applications. And it really shows how common the solvent challenges are across different industries.

KEVIN BRENNAN: Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, you couldn't have said it better.

TONI NEARY: So, Kevin, we know this is the first of its kind in the market. So let's talk about comparisons for what people might be using currently compared to the 93-800. What does testing show about how this glove performed in real-world conditions?

KEVIN BRENNAN: Yeah, so a lot of people are just using a standard glove and will start to degrade. It loses its mechanical properties. And a lot of times, you know, again, as we talked about with the permeation, it can get onto your skin and impact your health.

TONI NEARY: And I think that comparison really drives the point home. I know another important factor for Ansell is sustainability, which is not always something that people think about when they consider disposable gloves. How does the 93-800 help companies improve safety while also reducing waste?

KEVIN BRENNAN: So this is manufactured in a facility that uses 83% renewable energy. These plants are running 24 hours a day you know, burning fossil fuels, coal in some instances. So really, that green manufacturing is the key, right? It's certified by Intertek. Zero waste to landfill. And just eliminates the need for double gloving, which obviously goes in the landfill and just causes issues.

TONI NEARY: And that's great to hear, especially when companies are looking for ways to improve safety and sustainability at the same time. Kevin, this has been a great discussion. It's clear that TouchNTuff 93-800 helps solve a tough challenge by delivering chemical protection in a disposable glove, without giving up comfort or dexterity. Kevin, thank you so much for your time and for joining us today.

KEVIN BRENNAN: Thanks Toni, it was great to be here.

TONI NEARY: It was great having Kevin with us today, and seeing is believing. So if you want to get your hands on these new TouchNTuff 93-800 disposable gloves, visit www.mscdirect.com/products/ansell-touchntuff or reach out to your MSC safety consultant to get a sample. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel so you never miss an episode. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time on Tooling Up.

Narrator: Want more insights and ideas to improve the efficiency and productivity of your operations? Check out the Tooling Up video playlist to hear tips that can take your company to the next level, and subscribe to our channel so you won't miss out.

Brought to you by Ansell

Ansell manufactures innovative products that provide unmatched quality, comfort and technology to millions of consumers, workers and first responders. All our gloves benefit from over 100 years of Ansell research and development, patented technology and state of the art manufacturing. Anywhere in the world Ansell helps workers finish their job more safely, more comfortably and more productively.