Goodyear to develop domestic source of natural rubber
By Will Hall - 15th May 2022
The TK dandelion that has proven to be an alternative to natural rubber trees
USA – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co, based in Akron, Ohio, has announced a multi-million-dollar programme supported by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), to develop a domestic source of natural rubber from a species of dandelion called Taraxacum kok-saghyz, known as TK.
Natural rubber has been classified as a strategic raw material that serves as a critical ingredient for both commercial and military tyres. Goodyear stated that, today, more than 90% of the world’s natural rubber is made from latex derived from rubber trees primarily sourced from tropical countries outside of the US.
