Process for promoting the cure of clay-containing elastomeric copolymer compositions

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PROMOTING THE DI(ARALKYL) PEROXIDE CURE OF ELEASTOMERIC CHAIN-SATURATED COPOLYMERS OF ALPHAOLEFIN MONOMERS, SAID COPOLYMER CONTAINING CLAY, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, IN SEQUENCE, (1) MASTICATING AT ABOUT 250*F. TO 500*F. (A) ABOUT 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID COPOLYMER, (B) ABOUT 20 TO 300 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A CLAY SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF KAOLINE CLAY AND CALCINED CLAY AND (C) A PROMOTER WHICH WHEN SAID CLAY IS KAOLIN CLAY, SAID PROMOTER IS PESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT 0.5 TO 1.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT AND IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF P-QUINONE DIOXIME, MORPHOLINE DISULFIDE AND MIXTURES THEREOF AND WHEN SAID CLAY IS CALCINED CLAY, SAID PROMOTER IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT 0.1 TO 1.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT AND IS SELECTED FORM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF P-QUINONE DIOXIME, MORPHOLINE DISULFIDE, NITROSO AMINES WHERE THE NITROGEN ATOM BEARING THE -NO RADICAL HAS NO MORE THAN ON E AROMATIC SUBSTITUENT, POLY(PARADINITROSOBENZENE) AND MIXTURES THEREOF: (2) INTRODUCING ABOUT 1 TO 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID DI(ARALKYL) PEROXIDE PER 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID COPOLYMER AND (3) HEATING AT ABOUT 266*F. TO 410*F. SO AS TO EFFECT A CURE.