Goodyear's announcement on work with dandelion-based natural rubber follows closely on the heels of Bridgestone getting a grant from the Department of Energy to test guayule-derived rubber.
Goodyear's collaboration with the Department of Defense, the U.S. Air Force and other entities will help get dandelion-sourced domestic natural rubber to market more quickly.
From Crain's Akron Business: The Akron-based tiremaking giant on Thursday, April 7, announced it will work with DOD, the Air Force Research Lab, BioMADE and Cincinnati-based Farmed Materials in a 'multi-year, multimillion-dollar program' to create rubber from Taraxacum kok-saghyz, a dandelion species known as TK. Planting and harvesting of TK seeds will begin this spring in Ohio.