NR from dandelions could be as cheap as $3/kg

ERJ staff report (DS)

Cologne, Germany -- Given an NR price above $6/kg, natural rubber latex from Russian dandelions could be produced for a price as low as $3/kg, according to Dr. Hans Mooibroek, project co-ordinator for te EU-Pearls project. EU-Pearls (EU-based Production and Exploitation of Alternative Rubber and Latex Sources) aims to develop two alternative natural rubber sources for Europe; rubber production from guayule and Russian dandelion.

Of these, the Russian dandelion offers the most cost-effective alternative to traditional natural rubber in the mid-term. Mooibroek did not give a time scale, but suggested that with further work, the dandelion could offer a possible solution to the gap between supply and demand for natural rubber.

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