Patent ID: 7737225

Claim:
An elastomer composition comprising: a polymer system comprising: a majority by polymer system weight of a polymer and an optional polymer additive selected from the group consisting of: carboxylated nitrile, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, butyl rubber, natural rubber and hydrogenated carboxylated butadiene acrylonitrile terpolymer, and combinations thereof, said polymer system totaling 100 parts by weight; and a cure system comprising: 1.5 to 30 parts by weight of a metal oxide, said metal oxide selected from the group consisting of: zinc oxide, magnesium oxide and calcium 10 oxide; 15 to 50 parts by weight of an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid; and an organoperoxide, wherein said metal oxide and said α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid are premixed with a portion of said polymer system to form a master batch and the polymer is crosslinked with a metal carboxylate that is generated in situ from metal oxide and the α,β-ethylenically carboxylated acid in the presence of the organoperoxide.