FIND A
LOCATION

PAY MY
BILL

Goodyear Researching Dandelion-Based Natural Rubber with DOD

Apr 12, 2022 | Environment, Goodyear, Natural Rubber

What’s the latest in the tire industry? How about turning dandelions into natural rubber?

Goodyear is collaborating with the Department of Defense, United States Air Force and other organizations to develop a dandelion-sourced natural rubber for military vehicles, aircraft and truck tires. A recent report published in Tire Business says that a multi-year, multi-million-dollar program aims to get dandelion-sourced domestic natural rubber to market more quickly.

Natural rubber is a key raw material in more than 40,000 products, used in mattresses, medical gloves and shoe soles, as well as tire production.

Dandelions can be grown in temperate rather than tropical climates and harvested in about six months, much more quickly than natural rubber trees, which take about seven years to produce the necessary latex required for natural rubber.

“Global demand for natural rubber continues to grow, and it remains a key raw material for the tire industry,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president of Global Operations and chief technology officer for Goodyear. “This is a critical time to develop a domestic source of natural rubber, which may help mitigate future supply chain challenges.”

The NR produced will be used to make military aircraft tires that will be built and tested by Goodyear in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force’s AFRL at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

“We’re excited about this project, which holds a lot of promise for domestic rubber production and shows how bio-industrial manufacturing can help secure the domestic supply chain,” said Melanie Tomczak, chief technology officer at BioMADE, a partner in the research and development.

We can help get you back on the road fast.

Where to Get Your Next Semi-Truck Alignment

Find a location near you

SERVICES

24 Hr Truck Tire Service

Bulk Oil Service

Industrial Oil

DEF Service

Install & Repair

ISOCLEAN® Certified Lubricants Program

Retreading

Rim Reconditioning

Tire Maintenance

Truck Alignments

LOCATIONS

Jeff Brandon

Blissfield Truck Tire Center

517.486.4633

Jeff Brandon

Cincinnati/West Chester

513.733.8200

Jeff Brandon

Columbus

614.445.6601

Jeff Brandon

Detroit Fleet Services

313.386.0451

Jeff Brandon

Flint/Burton Fleet Services

810.288.6458

Jeff Brandon

Fort Wayne Fleet Services

260.420.8435

Jeff Brandon

Lima Truck Tire Center

419.221.5001

Jeff Brandon

Heath Fleet Services

740.788.8032

Jeff Brandon

Toledo (North) Truck Tire Center

419.727.9468

Jeff Brandon

Perrysburg Truck Tire Center

419.837.6591

Jeff Brandon

South Bend Fleet Services

574.968.0067

Jeff Brandon

Ypsilanti Truck Tire Center

734.434.9300

Jeff Brandon

Toledo Fleet Service

419.720.0422

Jeff Brandon

Warren Fleet Services

586.777.9030