Car Tires Made With Latex From Dandelions?

What child doesn't love dandelions? I used to love popping the heads off at someone and then watching the quick-flowing latex run down the stem. Or I would press the broken edge of the dandelion against my skin again and again. Or I would blow the seeds from the ripe dandelion heads all over because everyone knew they were wishes waiting to fly. Then I discovered the magic of dandelion wine; but, finally realized that dandelion tea was better for me.

Scientists from Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC) recently received a $3 million grant to design and build a processing plant that would turn sticky white dandelion root sap into quality rubber. They will use a relative of the plant that menaces American lawns everywhere, pictured here. Photo courtesy Getty Images.

Scientists from Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC) state they have recently received a $3 million grant to design and build a processing plant that would turn sticky white dandelion root sap into quality rubber for less money than current methods.

"No matter how much chemistry we've applied, we still haven't been able to find an artificial substitute for natural rubber," said William Ravlin, a researcher involved in the project. "We're still harvesting [rubber] the same way they did 1,000 years ago; by cutting into the tree and letting the sap drip into containers. It's not a very efficient system."

The Ohio scientists vision of an efficient system is Midwestern farmers driving air-conditioned tractors harvesting acres of yellow dandelions with the same efficiency and machinery used to pull tulip bulbs.

However, the scientists will not be using just any garden-variety dandelion. Oh no, the humble Taraxacum officinale is not worthy enough. The latex found in the American dandelion's Uzbekistani cousin, Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) is considered superior for this. TKS is commonly referred to Russian dandelion.

So, what makes the Russian dandelion superior to the American dandelion? TKS' carrot-like root is anywhere from 10%-20% rubber-ready. "And that's without modifying them with biotechnology or breeding," said Ravlin.


Researchers from Oregon State University are working in collaboration with the Ohio scientists. Together they are developing different varieties of seeds with various potential improvements including increasing the ability to increase crop yield.

While many details have yet to be worked out, the researchers expect that within a few years the Ohio processing plant could produce 20 million tons of rubber annually.

By 2015 they hope to triple that amount, to more than 60 million tons, most of which will be used for research purposes. That's alot of dandelions!

Photo by mgpenguin86 via flickr

Dandelion rubber has proved to be of equal quality with the rubber derived the Brazilian rubber tree. The world's only commercial source of natural rubber comes from the Brazilian rubber trees in Southeast Asia - disease wiped out all the commercial Brazilian rubber trees in South America. Ask any gardener how easy it is to kill dandelions!! They are some of the most resilient plants on the face of the earth!

Synthetic rubber can be produced; but, due to impurities, is a poor substitute for natural. Eventually some of the dandelion rubber will go to the leading tire manufacturer - Bridgestone.

"I think this has some real potential," said Jason Poulton, Manager of Polymer Development at Bridgestone.

"It would be useful for tire producers to have a safe and steady supply of natural rubber that would insulate us from the price increases of the last five to seven years," said Jason Poulton.

Poulton advises that policymakers and farmers proceed with caution should dandelion-derived rubber prove profitable. "Dandelions could compete for farmland used for edible food," said Poulton. "Resolving that problem could be one of our biggest challenges."

Via Discovery News and TreeHugger