The invention provides new methods for recycling thermoset materials such as natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers, silicone rubbers, and other elastomers and cross-linked polymers (e.g., isoprene rubbers; butyl rubbers; ethylene-propylene-diene rubbers, nullEPDMnull; nitrile, or acrylonitrile butadiene rubbers, nullNBRnull; styrene-butadiene rubbers, nullSBRnull; hard rubbers such as EBONITEnull; mixtures of vulcanized rubbers from discarded tires). The invention is based on the discovery that by combining powdered or particulate thermoset materials with lubricants such as aromatic or paraffinic rubber processing oils or volatile solvents, the thermoset materials can be recycled under moderate temperature and pressure conditions to rapidly produce materials having physical properties comparable to those of virgin thermoset materials. The resulting materials can, for example, be extruded or compaction molded into new shapes such as panels. The new recycling methods can also be carried out in either batch or continuous processes.