The crosslinking of carboxylated nitrile rubber (XNBR) with magnesium oxide (MgO) leads to an ionic elastomer with thermoplastic nature and better physical properties than the ones obtained with other metallic oxides. The crosslinking reaction leads to the formation of a metallic salt as unique product, as it could be seen on the ATR analysis of the samples, prepared at different reaction times. The mechanical properties of the material increase with the amount of crosslinking agent and segregation of an ionic microphase takes place. The presence of this microphase is demonstrated by a relaxation at high temperatures. The apparent activation energy of this relaxation is smaller than the activation energy of the glass transition of the elastomer, the former being more dependent on the amount of metallic oxide than is the latter. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.