Vulcanized Virgin Rubber: What the Reserve Specs Mean

Reserve is Sport Pro Surfacing's vulcanized virgin rubber line. The Reserve specification is published on each product's cut sheet, and the numbers below are taken directly from those sheets. This article explains what the key figures measure and how to read them when you compare flooring options.

What vulcanized virgin rubber is

Virgin rubber compounds are homogeneous, with no binder, which gives them uniform hardness, resilience and color. Vulcanization cures the rubber under heat and pressure, so the wear surface is a single cured material rather than granules held together by a binder.

Reserve is offered as a dual-layer roll and as interlocking tiles. In dual-layer construction, a 3.5mm virgin rubber top layer sits over a 4, 6 or 8mm base layer, for total thicknesses of 7.5mm, 9.5mm or 11.5mm.

Reading the tensile and elongation numbers

Tensile strength is measured under ASTM D412. The Reserve cut sheet lists 1000 psi on the top layer and 350 psi on the bottom, with elongation at break of 300% on top and 200% on the bottom. Tensile strength describes how much force the material can take before it breaks, and elongation describes how far it stretches before it does. Together they describe how the surface holds up under repeated loading.

Hardness, compression set and load

Hardness is listed at 80 +/- 5 Shore A under ASTM D2240. Compression set is 0.0993 under ASTM D395, and the Reserve sheet also lists a pass on the ASTM F970-00 static load limit. These are the figures to check when a floor will carry racks, platforms or machine bases, where the surface needs to recover its shape after weight is removed.

Grip, wet and dry

The cut sheet lists a coefficient of friction greater than 0.8 dry under ASTM D2047, and a static coefficient of friction greater than 1.0 wet or dry under ASTM C-1028. Both results matter in training areas where the floor is used dry one day and wet the next.

Moisture absorption

Moisture absorption is 0.0037 under ASTM D570. A low figure here means the surface takes on very little water, which matters for spaces where sweat, spills and cleaning are constant.

The full Reserve test results

The complete table below is the performance data published on the Reserve cut sheet. Each row lists the test method, so you can compare it against any other product's sheet.

Choosing between Reserve and other lines

Reserve is the vulcanized virgin rubber option in our catalog. Strength and Studio are recycled rubber lines in Select, Signature and Integrity constructions, and they are the better fit when the budget calls for recycled material. For a side-by-side look at the options, the product pages list the cut sheet, installation guide, care guide and warranty for each system.

Explore the Reserve products: Studio Reserve Dual Layer, Studio Reserve Tiles, Strength Reserve Dual Layer and Strength Reserve Tiles.