Dandelion Tires
PRAGUE - Dec 18/14 - SNS -- If this were April 1, news that tires will be manufactured in 2015 using rubber extracted from dandelions would simply gain a chuckle.
If the project is successful, it could truly start to add value to plants which have been troublesome.
During 2015, Mitas expects to have the first prototype tires which use rubber from the Taraxacum koksaghyz (Kazakh dandelion) to complement rubber tree available.
"We are examining different ways to use natural and renewable materials to produce our tires," said sales and marketing director Andrew Mabin.
"Our research and development department is actively seeking new ways of improving our manufacturing process which includes researching new raw materials or substitutes. We are one of several tire manufacturers researching the benefits of the Kazakh dandelion in producing a more sustainable rubber for our tires."
Cultivation of the Taraxacum koksaghyz as a rubber-producing crop is one of the innovative ways of extracting rubber. As part of the Drive4EU project, Mitas is responsible for testing the characteristics and features of 'rubber' derived from the plant. The objective is to find a new source of rubber with the same or better characteristics than those of the rubber tree.
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