Full definition
Elastomer material recovered from end-of-life tires and industrial rubber scrap through mechanical processing (shredding, granulating, and screening) or devulcanization (chemical/thermal breakdown of cross-links for re-vulcanizable material). Primary product forms: crumb rubber granulate (0.5-4 mm, from ambient or cryogenic grinding), rubber powder (<0.5 mm, fine grinding), reclaimed rubber (devulcanized, mixable with virgin compounds at 10-30% replacement), and molded products (granulate bonded with 8-15% polyurethane binder). Applications: sports flooring and running track surfaces (IAAF/World Athletics certified), playground safety surfaces (EN 1177 fall height compliance), gym flooring tiles (15-50 mm, high density), artificial turf infill, rubber-modified asphalt (1-3% crumb rubber reduces cracking and noise), anti-vibration mats, speed bumps, and equestrian arena footing. Environmental impact: diverts tires from landfill (~1 billion ELT annually worldwide) and reduces virgin material consumption. Quality standards: ASTM D6270 for civil engineering applications, EN 1177 for playground impact attenuation. Limitations: variable properties, limited color options, may contain trace metals from tire wire.