RESEARCHERS from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME are jointly working with Continental in building the first-ever pilot facility in Munster (Germany) to extract large quantities of dandelion rubber for tyre production.
The joint project officially started this early October, with the goal to develop the production process over the next five years to enable Continental to produce tyres from dandelion rubber.
The Fraunhofer scientists have cultivated several hectares of the Russian dandelion variety to extract latex from. To optimise the properties of the dandelion, the researchers concurrently grew new varieties with a higher proportion of rubber and biomass yield. The first prototype test tyres made with blends from dandelion-rubber are scheduled to be tested on public roads over the next few years.
“Through the most modern cultivation methods and optimisation of systems technology, we have succeeded in manufacturing high-grade natural rubber from dandelions—in the laboratory. The time is now right to move this technology from the pilot project-scale to the industrial scale. We have found an expert partner in Continental, with whom we now want to create tyres that are ready for production,” says Prof Dr Rainer Fischer, Head of Institute at IME in Aachen.
“We are investing in this highly promising materials development and production project because we are certain that in this way we can further improve our tyre production over the long term,” says Nikolai Setzer, the Continental Managing Director, Tyres Division.
“We have amassed tremendous expertise in dandelion harvesting over the last few years. With the aid of DNA markers, we now know which gene is responsible for which molecular feature. This makes it possible to cultivate especially high-yield plants much more efficiently,” explains Prof Dr Dirk Prüfer of Fraunhofer.
“With this new technology, we can achieve a sustainable edge for the German automotive market. On the one hand, it makes the domestic economy less dependent on the importing of raw materials. On the other hand, it reduces the transportation routes, and thus improves the CO2 balance,” adds Dr -Ing Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.