April 12, 2022—Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is partnering with the Department of Defense, the Air Force Resource Lab, Farmed Materials out of Ohio and BioMADE in Minnesota to develop a new domestically-sourced rubber that is made from dandelions.
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the species of dandelion in question is called taraxacum kok-saghyz, or TK, and was first discovered in Kazakhstan. Goodyear is seeking to use TK as an alternative to natural rubber trees.
Planting and harvesting for the TK seeds is set to start this year in Ohio. Goodyear plans to initially build military aircraft tires made with this dandelion rubber, and the end product will be put to the test at Wright-Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio.
Ninety percent of the natural rubber farmed from rubber trees is located outside of the United States in more tropical areas of the globe. By domestically sourcing this dandelion crop, future supply chain issues may be mitigated. Dandelions can grow much easier in the climate of the United States, and they can be harvested every six months.
