Making tires from dandelions

Approximately 10 to 40 percent of a car tire comprises natural rubber, traditionally harvested from the sap of the caoutchouc tree. However, this source is increasingly facing criticism. Its monoculture cultivation is harmful to the environment, raw materials must be transported long distances to tire factories, and there are only a few regions in the world where these trees can grow. In the long term, the caoutchouc tree will simply not be able to meet growing global demand. Moreover, the use of synthetic rubber as a substitute is limited by its material attributes. So what are the alternatives? One candidate is Taraxacum kok-saghyz, commonly referred to as Russian dandelion. This plant has long been known to have sap with a high concentration of natural rubber—on par with the caoutchouc tree itself. Researchers are now assessing whether it is possible to industrialize its cultivation under acceptable ecological and economic conditions. This poses a significant challenge, as the cost-effective farming of Russian dandelion in our climes would require effective control of indigenous weeds—without resorting to conventional herbicides, as these chemicals would cause collateral damage to the dandelion crop. Against this background, tire maker Continental is cooperating with research partners to develop an automated mechanical method of weeding. The system would entail the continuous removal of weeds by means of a special attachment on a self-driving tractor. The Rostock-based Fraunhofer IGD team is providing expert advice on autonomous image recognition: An intelligent camera with AI-based software can distinguish in real time between a Russian dandelion and a weed. The solution is currently being trialed in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Continental would like to express its thanks for the support received from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on the basis of a resolution passed by the German Bundestag, and for the support of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Ministry of Economics, Employment and Health by means of funds from the European Union’s ERDF program in the period 2014 to 2020.