Reclaiming is a procedure in which tyre rubber is converted - using mechanical processes , thermal energy and chemicals - into a state in which it can be mixed , processed and vulcanized again . The principle of the process is devulcanization , which consists of the cleavage of intermolecular bonds of the chemical network , such as carbon-sulphur ( C-S ) and/or sulphursulphur ( S-S ) bonds . These confer durability , elasticity and solvent resistance .