Press Release
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Continental and Fraunhofer Join Forces to Bring Dandelion Rubber to the Roads
- Leading companies invest in environmentally friendly material production
- Huge potential for dandelion as a modern crop plant in Europe
- Pilot facility for industrial production of dandelion rubber launched in Münster
- Pilot phase to determine whether or not the plants will be grown on previously uncultivated land
Hanover, October 14, 2013. Leading tire manufacturer Continental and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Aachen are on the verge of a breakthrough with their joint development project for rubber that can be industrialized and is made from dandelion plants for tire production. In recent years, with the aid of state-of-the-art growing methods and optimized cultivation systems, it has been possible to produce high-grade natural rubber from dandelion roots in the laboratory. Work began recently on the construction of a pilot facility that can produce natural rubber by the ton at the Münster site of the IME.
"We are investing in this promising material development and production project because we are convinced that it will enable us to further improve our tire production in the long run," said Nikolai Setzer, who is responsible for the Tire division within Continental's Executive Board. "This is because the production of rubber from dandelion roots is far less weather-dependent than production from rubber trees. Furthermore, the new system is so undemanding in terms of agricultural requirements that it opens up a whole new potential – particularly for areas of land that are currently uncultivated. By growing the crops much closer to our production sites, we would also be able to significantly reduce the burden on the environment and our outlay for logistics. This development project shows impressively that we have by no means reached the end of the line in terms of our possibilities for material development." The first test tires featuring rubber compounds made from dandelion rubber are already set to be tested on public roads in the coming years.
"We have built up a great deal of expertise in the field of dandelion cultivation in recent years. Thanks to DNA marker technology, we now know which gene is responsible for which molecular property. This enables us to grow particularly high-yield plants much more efficiently," explains project manager Professor Dirk Prüfer, looking back at the work carried out at the Münster site of the IME. This had been preceded by several years of research activities, as part of which the scientists were able to prove that the rubber produced from the dandelion plants they had grown themselves not only offers the same quality as its counterpart from the rubber tree, but that this new variant is actually more robust and offers a higher yield.
"With this dandelion project, we are taking a huge step forward on the path to our long-term goal of manufacturing tires for cars, trucks, and bicycles, as well as specialist tires, completely without any fossil materials," explains Dr. Boris Mergell, who looks after the cooperation project as the head of Material and Process Development for Tires at Continental. "If we can successfully manage to produce large amounts of dandelion rubber with at least equivalent performance properties to conventional rubber harvested from rubber trees, then we will be able to put ourselves in a position where we are much less dependent on the annual harvest situation in the subtropical growing regions," adds Mergell. However, the decision on where in Europe such large-scale cultivation of the specially grown dandelion is going to take place has not yet been taken.
Continental AG
With sales of €32.7 billion in 2012, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems, and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 173,000 employees in 46 countries.
Tire Division
As one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers with more than 42,000 employees, the division achieved sales of more than €9.7 billion in 2012. The division currently has 22 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility.
PLT
Continental is one of the leading manufacturers of passenger and light truck tires in Europe and the world's fourth largest passenger car tire manufacturer in the original equipment and replacement market. The product development focus of the Continental premium brand is to optimize all safety-relevant characteristics, while simultaneously minimizing rolling resistance.
Commercial Vehicle Tires
The Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit is one of the largest manufacturers of truck and bus tires worldwide and also offers a complete product range in the field of industrial tires.
Sponsorship
Continental's Tire division is an official sponsor of the German DFB Cup, Major League Soccer in the U.S.A., the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and UEFA EURO 2016TM in France.
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Contact:Alexander Bahlmann
Head of PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire Division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Ph.: +49 (0) 511 938 2615
Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455
/ Klaus Engelhart
Press Spokesman, Passenger and Light Truck/Two-Wheel Tires
Germany/Austria/Switzerland
Continental AG
Tire Division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Ph.: +49 (0) 511 938 2285
Fax: +49 (0) 511 938 2455
Your contact:
Klaus Engelhart, Tel.: + 49 (0) 511 938 2285