Résumé
The maturation conditions of cup rubber coagula stacked in the form of a stocking pile in an industrial plant have been characterised. It was found that temperature and relative humidity of the air increased with depth within the pile. In contrast, oxygen content of the air within the pile decreased as depth increased. The effects of these parameters on the properties of processed cup coagula maturation were studied. Effects of 24-day maturation on rubber properties were found to vary with the position of cup coagula within the pile. The pH of maturated cup coagula decreased significantly with depth in the pile. An inverse pattern was observed for Wallace initial plasticity (P-0), Plasticity retention index (PRI), gel content and weight average molar mass (M-w). Moreover the maturation period, especially at the deepest layers, was found to have a positive effect on the standardised properties of rubber such as P-0 and PRI.