Cooper would be(dande-)lying if they said the prospect didn’t sound attractive, so the companyis partnering The Program of Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives (PENRA)to research the possibilities of a new domestic source. At the head of thefield of possibilities is the Russian Dandelion, scientifically known asTaraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS). Its roots can be processed into natural rubber,which would serve as the polymer for multiple compound components of a tyre,including the sidewall, base and tread. Russian Dandelions have a similarappearance to more common dandelions but also possess a more complex rootsystem.
“Cooper isextremely excited to participate in this innovative ‘green’ project,” saidChuck Yurkovich, Cooper Tire’s vice president of global technology. “This newprocess involves forward-thinking technology with potential to bring acompetitive substitute supply of natural rubber that will be produced in theUnited States, reducing our dependency on off shore imports. In addition toproviding a supply of natural rubber that is critical to a number ofindustries, it’s also an opportunity for Cooper to remain competitive in themarket place with an environmentally friendly product that creates jobs here inthe United States.”
Initial tests haveshown that TKS is molecularly similar to the current main source of naturalrubber, Hevea (Brazilian rubber tree). Exhaustive testing is planned over thenext three to four years before PENRA partners will be able to manufacturetires using TKS on a small-scale basis. The plant is not expected to completelyerase the need to use natural rubber, but according to PENRA, it has thepotential to provide 30% of market requirements of natural rubber. The U.S.currently spends approximately $3 billion annually on natural rubber importedfrom Asia.
Greg Bowman,advanced technology manager for Cooper Tire, states, “If testing is able toqualify TKS as a viable source of natural rubber, the effects could befar-reaching. It would allow U.S.-based tyre manufacturers to potentiallyacquire more flexible resources, while at the same time positively impactingthe environment by reducing the carbon footprint created to produce and shipnatural rubber to the United States.”
Russian dandelionsrequire little fertilisation or irrigation, and the Ohio State University’sOhio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) estimates farmerswould make a greater profit per acre than growing more traditional crops. OARDCand the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center, along with other university andindustry partners, were recently awarded a $3 million grant to develop arenewable, domestic source of natural rubber.
The idea ofharvesting Russian dandelions to produce natural rubber for tyres originatedduring World War II as both Russia and the United States looked foralternatives due to supply line cuts. However, once the war ended and supplylines were reopened, research shifted toward further development of syntheticrubbers. (Tyres & Accessories/Staffordshire, U.K.)
