To produce polyethylene-octene elastomer foams with compression molding, the influences of various activators on the thermal decomposition temperature of the chemical blowing agent azodicarbonamide were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis, which showed that the decomposition temperature of azodicarbonamide could be effectively reduced by the addition of zinc oxide/zinc stearate. The results of a moving die rheometer suggested that the vulcanization and blowing curves were influenced by the content of azodicarbonamide and temperature, and the optimum temperature was about 170 degrees C. The morphology and physical properties of the microcellular polyethylene-octene elastomer were studied. The results indicated that the amount of azodicarbonamide and the processing temperature played important roles in the cell morphology and physical properties of polyethylene-octene elastomer foams. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.