Children love to blow their seeds into the wind and rabbits think they are a gourmet delight. Now dandelions have aroused the interest of the rubber industry as well. A research team at the University of Münster has studied the latex in them and come to an amazing discovery. Dandelions produce gum elastic – equal in quality to rubber tree latex. This could make the wild herb a major source of rubber in the future. Auto parts supplier Continental AG in Germany has latched onto these lab results. The firm is now hard at work to bring this idea to the fore as a member in the consortium of research institutes and industry partners that intend to transform the idea into marketable products.
The tyre industry views the latex in dandelions as something they can use in place of rubber tree latex. This would solve a major global problem. Nowadays natural rubber comes from the latex of the rubber tree. Grown mainly in Southeast Asia, this tree harbors a number of problems. Worldwide demand exceeds the supply. What’s more, a fungal infection threatens rubber tree growth and sustainability.
There are also supply issues with synthetic rubber in that petroleum supplies have an impact on synthetic rubber. World market prices for this raw material also vary greatly over time.
Dr. Dirk Prüfer, professor at the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Münster in Germany, confirms the quality of dandelion rubber saying; “The first research results clearly show Russian dandelions to produce a high-quality natural rubber. Its physical and chemical properties match up well with those of the Brazilian rubber tree. Growers would have to plant dandelions on a large scale if industry is to be able to use them to produce natural rubber. I hope that dandelions will soon number among Germany’s crop plants. It is their due.”
Biochemists have found the enzyme that governs polymerization of the plant’s latex. They have managed to “switch off” this enzyme so that the latex can now flow freely and be siphoned off the plant. That is a major step forward.
“Rubber makes up much of tyres. Forty one per cent of the ContiPremiumContact 2 passenger tyre, for instance, is rubber,” confirms Rene Olivier, spokesperson for Continental Tyre in South Africa.
Researchers feel that dandelions could someday supply a tenth of the German rubber demand.
“This project is of great interest to material development,” adds Dr. Boris Mergell, head of Tire Material and Process Development & Industrialization at Continental AG.
“Success in making dandelions a source of natural rubber would enable us to respond at rather short notice to supply shifts. After all, the plant needs only one year from seeding to harvest. From the cutting of the first sod to the harvesting of the latex, setting up a run-of-the-mill rubber plantation requires roughly five to seven years,” he adds.
Alan Straton
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