The Need:

Natural rubber sourced from the Para rubber tree faces a plethora of challenges including price instability, geopolitical trade complexities, deforestation restrictions, and disease vulnerabilities. A convenient solution lies in the rubber root dandelion which produces natural rubber comparable to that of the Para rubber tree. However, challenges like yield and impurity levels present obstacles to producing rubber at commercial scale.

The Technology:

OSU faculty have developed an improved methodology that doubles latex yield and produces a purer rubber product. The extraction is also water based and can readily be incorporated into an industrial-scale latex extraction process, resulting in a highly efficient and sustainable process for obtaining rubber from the rubber dandelion.

Commercial Applications:

Producing rubber in this way has wide-ranging commercial applications in various industries, including but not limited to:

• Automotive: durable tires, gaskets, and seals in the automotive sector.
• Medical: gloves, tubing, and medical devices.
• Industrial: components like belts, hoses, and conveyor systems.
• Consumer Products: From footwear to household items and other consumer goods.

Benefits/Advantages:

Our extraction method offers several key benefits and advantages over traditional rubber extraction methods:

• High Yield and Purity: Yields of over 80% from rubber dandelion plants and purity levels exceeding 98.5%.
• Faster Extraction: accelerated the extraction process, resulting in quicker rubber production.
• Versatility: Dandelion rubber extracted through this extraction method possesses similar composition, molecular characteristics, and mechanical properties to traditional Para rubber tree sources.
• Sustainability: Minimizes environmental impact by reducing reliance on petroleum-derived solvents and wasteful extraction techniques.

Offering improved efficiency, our improved method of rubber extraction from rubber dandelions unlocks new possibilities for industries reliant on natural rubber, ensuring a stable and reliable supply of this essential biomaterial.

Patents:

• PCT/US2022/073364
• Additional Provisional Patent Filed