"Precure" and "Maturation" of Natural Rubber Latex Compounds

Manufacturer: We are latex dipped products manufacturers using natural rubber latex. We are confused by the terms, "Precure" and "Maturation". What do they mean in technical terms and how important are they?

John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Good questions. Both the terms "Precure" and "Maturation" are quite loosely used in the latex industry. Even some of the qualified latex technologists and scientists interchange one with the other to mean the same thing.

The two terms actually mean two different things. "Precure" means a certain degree of prevulcanisation or cross-links that has taken place while "Maturation" is the state of surfactants initially present in the base latex and those added through compounding and other ingredients having reached an equilibrium usually accompanied with an increase in colloidal stability.

Both precure and maturation are taking place at the same time immediately after compounding.

Both are necessary to ensure successful dipping with good colloidal stability and good gel strength with minimal or no product distortion and eventual acceptable tensile strength.