TYRES: Rubber from dandelions

German auto component and tyre manufacturer Continental and its research partner, the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), have announced what they call a breakthrough in environmentally friendly rubber production for future tyre compounds.

The two have been working on sourcing rubber from dandelion roots, potentially providing the tyre industry with a new and stable source of raw materials to supplement the traditional rubber plant. The discovery could turn what’s now seen as something close to a weed in Europe into a valuable crop.

Nikolai Setzer, director of Continental’s tyre division, said the company is convinced of the material’s long-term viability as a supplement or replacement for traditional rubber.

“This is because the production of rubber from dandelion roots is far less weather-dependent than production from rubber trees,” Mr Setzer said. “Furthermore, the new system is so undemanding in terms of agricultural requirements that it opens up a whole new potential – particularly for areas of land that are currently uncultivated.”

Cultivating dandelion for the purpose in Europe would have the added benefits of cutting logistical and environmental costs, he added. “This development project shows impressively that we have by no means reached the end of the line in terms of our possibilities for material development.”

Research by the pair revealed the hardy dandelion as a superior source of raw latex to the rubber tree on a number of fronts. The material itself is as good if not better than conventional rubber for tyre compounds.

"With this project, we are taking a huge step forward on the path to our long-term goal of manufacturing tyres for cars, trucks, and bicycles, as well as specialist tyres, completely without any fossil materials," said Dr Boris Mergell, Head of Material and Process Development for Continental’s tyre division.

It also reduces European dependence on offshore sources of rubber, mitigating problems with fungal infections threatening southeast Asian crops and supplementing a supply chain already struggling to meet worldwide demand.

“If we can successfully manage to produce large amounts of dandelion rubber with at least equivalent performance properties to conventional rubber harvested from rubber trees, then we will be able to put ourselves in a position where we are much less dependent on the annual harvest situation in the subtropical growing regions.”

Professor Dirk Prufer, manager of the project, explained that IME has been working to genetically optimise the plant for some years.

“Thanks to DNA marker technology, we now know which gene is responsible for which molecular property,” he said in the pair’s statement. “This enables us to grow particularly high-yield plants much more efficiently.”

The project has been working steadily to overcome obstacles to that end. Several years ago, IME biochemists found and worked out how to curtail the enzyme that polymerises the dandelion’s latex – a major breakthrough in allowing the latex to remain liquid through harvesting.

The pair and other stakeholders in this potentially important new industry have yet to determine the most appropriate place for large-scale dandelion cultivation. While the plant itself takes just a year from seeding to harvest, the initial set-up of a full plantation would take five to seven years.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...

Don't forget to register to comment on this article.