An improved process and apparatus for the destructive distillation or pyrolysis of rubber, such as used rubber tires, to produce liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons and a solid carbonaceous char. A heat transfer gas circulating in a circulation loop is used to cool the hot char produced in the distillation chamber of a distillation oven, the circulation loop having some means for removing the heat transferred to the heat transfer gas from the hot char. In one embodiment, two distillation ovens are operated in off-set, batchwise distillation cycles. The distillation cycles in the two ovens are coordinated so that a fresh charge of rubber feed is introduced into the distillation chamber of one of the ovens as the distillation of rubber in the other oven is concluded. The heat transfer gas is then circulated through both distillation chambers of the two ovens such that heat is transferred from the hot char produced in one oven at the end of a cycle to the heat transfer gas, and then transferred from the gas to the cold rubber feed introduced into the distillation chamber of the other oven at the beginning of a cycle to preheat the rubber feed. An effective means for determining the distillation end point and a pressurized distillation oven door seal are also provided.