Abstract: A removable hot box is disclosed that includes a lower hot box portion, comprising: a lower housing comprising a plurality of lower clamping structures to clamp the lower housing to a press and locating structures to provide repeatable placing in the press; and a lower heating platen, received within the lower housing, wherein the lower housing or the lower heating platen comprises lower electrical connectors to provide a lower electrical connection to a heating system and lower cooling connectors to provide a lower cooling connection to a cooling system; and an upper hot box portion, positionable above the lower hot box portion and comprising: an upper housing comprising a plurality of upper clamping structures to clamp the upper housing to the press; an upper heating platen, received within the upper housing.

Abstract: This invention pertains to scorch retardant systems for peroxide curable elastomers. Polyunsaturated monomers copolymerizable with the elastomer in the presence of peroxides are mixed with hydroquinone and sulfenamides and incorporated into elastomer formulations. The formulations are milled and cured. Excellent Mooney scorch times and hardness values, as well as other physical properties are obtained.