Dandelion Rubber Could Replace Rare Sources

[Dover]

Dandelion Rubber Could Replace Rare Sources
Eric Bland, Discovery News

Aug. 5, 2008 -- Long the bane of lawn owners everywhere, the sunny-faced dandelion could revolutionize the rubber industry.

Scientists from Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC) recently received a $3 million grant to design and build a processing plant that would turn sticky white dandelion root sap into quality rubber for less money than current methods, say the scientists.

"No matter how much chemistry we've applied, we still haven't been able to find an artificial substitute for natural rubber," said William Ravlin, a researcher involved in the project. "We're still harvesting the same way they did 1,000 years ago; by cutting into the tree and letting the sap drip into containers. It's not a very efficient system."

Efficiency, according to the Ohio scientists, would be Midwestern farmers in air-conditioned tractors harvesting acres of yellow dandelions with the same machines used to pull tulip bulbs.

Nearby lawn owners shouldn't panic. The dandelions the researchers will use aren't the ones disgracing our nation's lawns, which go by the species name Taraxacum officinale.

Instead, the Ohio scientists will use the American dandelion's Uzbekistani cousin, Taraxacum kok-saghyz, (TKS), commonly called Russian dandelion. Not that the average person would notice; the two plants look nearly identical, except that TKS has slightly narrower leaves with different margins.

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http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/05/dandelion-rubber.html

[Connonym]

1. I've never understood dandelion hate

I think they're lovely both when they flower and when they go to seed. You know what would be hilarious? if after all these years of people trying to eradicate dandelions if they would find out that you can make fuel from them.

[Dover]

2. Well they make good human fuel...the leaves are used in salads.

I learned that in girl scouts as a girl, and now they are in most salad leaf mixes.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. "Weed salad" = yum!

Dandelion, shepherd's purse, chickory, sorrel... there are lots of wild foods that just are not appreciated in the modern kitchen.

Just make sure you pick your weeds from areas away from roads and passing dogs. :hi:

[eppur_se_muova]

10. What do you know about pepper cress?

It grows in our area, but it's not clear to me whether you're supposed to use it fresh or dry, whole seeds or hulled, seeds alone or a whole sprig ... any experience?

[eppur_se_muova]

7. No blemishes permitted on the spotless American lawn.

No matter how much pesticide it takes to maintain that perfect monoculture. A single -- unforgivably ostentatious -- dandelion is a sign of weakness of character.

There's no analogy here to diversity in American society. None whatever. Nope.



Well, you see what tolerating dandelions can lead to.

[Celebration]

8. I have a diverse, eclectic lawn

Some bermuda, some dandelion, some wild onion, some clover, some poke weed, and yes, some wild violets (my neighbors kill the latter five with a vengeance).

For the most part, it is the Republicans with the boring one dimensional lawns (unscientific, anecdotal evidence).

[eppur_se_muova]

9. "Eclectic" -- I like that.

I want a lawn that can be harvested and mulched, not mown and the clippings buried in a landfill.:banghead:

[A-Schwarzenegger]

3. Seems like it would tickle.

:*

[skoalyman]

5. lol tsk tsk

:spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

[eppur_se_muova]

6. OK, great, let's introduce another Asian exotic ...

then later discover it's the snakefish of weeds.

Why not milkweed? It grows much larger, should have more sap, and it's native.

And then there's rubber rabbitbrush, which grows on marginal land, and has been investigated as both a source of rubber and biomass for fuel:
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/chrnau/all.html

OTHER USES AND VALUES:

Rubber rabbitbrush was first tested as a source of good quality rubber during World War II <101>. In recent decades, there has been renewed interest in the potential of this species as a source of rubber and other chemicals <54>. Rubber content varies according to subspecies and environmental factors, with highest rubber production (6.67%) observed in Chrysothamnus nauseosus subsp. turbinatus <54>. Rubber content increases during periods of high temperatures and low soil moisture <53>. Chrysothamnus nauseosus subsp. consimilis has been found to produce the highest concentrations of resin (35.89%) <54>.

Compounds present in rubber rabbitbrush are being tested for medical applications including use as a nematocide and for anti-malarial properties <138>. It is also a possible source of natural insect repellents <55>. Rubber rabbitbrush has been tested for suitability as a potential energy source from biomass. This shrub is known to grow in dense stands while maintaining relatively high individual plant biomass <132>.

Rubber rabbitbrush has been cultivated since 1886 <27>. Certain subspecies have value for use as ornamentals <138>. Specific applications include urban plantings and parking strips <55,138>. The striking color of some of the white/gray subspecies and the ability to grow with little water makes them well suited for desert landscaping <137>.

Some Native American peoples used rubber rabbitbrush latex as a source of chewing gum <101>.