In the cryogenic process, tyre chips are frozen in liquid nitrogen as they pass through a cryogenic tunnel then broken down by impact. They then pass through a series of screen meshes where they are shattered into their three component parts: rubber, steel and fabric. Although the cryogenic process is the more expensive of the two, it produces smoother and smaller crumb. Tyres are slightly heavier than water and will sink in water unless entrapped air provides enough buoyancy to allow them to float. This generally occurs only with whole tyres or fine crumb rubber.

In the cryogenic process, tyre chips are frozen in liquid nitrogen as they pass through a cryogenic tunnel then broken down by impact. They then pass through a series of screen meshes where they are shattered into their three component parts: rubber, steel and fabric. Although the cryogenic process is the more expensive of the two, it produces smoother and smaller crumb. Tyres are slightly heavier than water and will sink in water unless entrapped air provides enough buoyancy to allow them to float. This generally occurs only with whole tyres or fine crumb rubber.