Safe braking with dandelion

Blow once and the seeds will dance in the air on the white parachutes. Dandelion, more commonly known as dandelion, is fun for kids and annoying weeds for gardeners, herbs and decorations in salads. Now they can even help save our climate.

Because the tire industry discovered the Russian dandelion as a source of rubber. The rubbery raw material is part of the plant’s milky sap. Rubber makes up about 40 percent of a car tire and is currently derived from the rubber tree – so it is already a renewable, sustainable raw material. But rubber trees need a tropical climate, the fields are located in the equatorial rainforest – where large areas have been repeatedly cleared for new plantations that affect our climate.

dandelion challenges

The Russian dandelion, on the other hand, grows almost anywhere, in any climate, and without special care – even next to a tire factory. It protects the rainforest as a raw material for car tires and also saves emissions as it does not need to be transported by ship.

However, the wild plant does not provide enough rubber for industrial use. Therefore, attempts are being made to breed a more rubber-bearing strain. For this purpose, German tire manufacturer Continental opened a research laboratory in northeast Germany in 2018. It aims to explore the tire production potential of dandelion and optimize dandelion cultivation and processing. The first success: the release of a bicycle tire made of dandelion rubber just a year later. From 2028, dandelion rubber will be gradually used in mass production of tires.

The long road to green rubber

Tires are made from steel, polyester, nylon, carbon black, chalk, resins, and other chemicals in addition to rubber. These components must be gradually produced in an environmentally friendly way, replaced with bio-alternatives or recycled. Tires should be fully sustainable by 2050.

Another component is empty PET bottles. Today they are recycled in cars, especially seat covers. Tire industry has until now used polyester yarn made from PET as fabric inside the tire. Since this spring Continental has produced its first tires with a supporting carcass made from recycled PET bottles. 40 bottles are recycled for one set of tires. Continental has also developed a more efficient and environmentally friendly process to recycle empty bottles without intermediate chemical steps. Michelin is also working to use recycled PET bottles.

recycling tires

Even the tire must be given a second and third life. 55,000 tons of old tires accumulate in Switzerland every year. Some are given a general overhaul and given a new tread with a new profile – like shoes. But after the second life, they are ripe for recycling. The tire industry is particularly interested in the soot, which accounts for 15 to 20 percent of the tire and is responsible for its black colour. During pyrolysis, the chemical compounds of the tire components are decomposed at high temperature and thus recovered.

roll better

But according to Michelin, a tire causes up to 90 percent of its environmental impact when used. Tires affect the efficiency of a vehicle. The lower the rolling resistance of an electric car, the lower the consumption or the higher its range. But low rolling resistance isn’t everything – after all, the tire must also develop grip when braking. It’s a theoretical contradiction that manufacturers must resolve during the long development process.

In addition, cars are getting heavier due to electric drives with large batteries. They expose the tires to higher loads, as the maximum torque of an electric motor is available from the first revolution. That’s why Stromer needs more durable tires that can carry more weight. Starting points are the tread and rubber compounds.

detailed tests

Today’s computer models can predict the behavior of a tire just fine, but are no substitute for actual testing. That’s why all tire manufacturers operate test tracks around the world. But the winter test tracks in the north offer even smaller time intervals for testing because the winters there are getting shorter and warmer. That’s why Swedish company Arctic Falls opened an indoor test track in 2016 where tire and automakers can test on snow and ice, even in summer. From -3 to -12 degrees, snowballs transform the 16,000-square-foot lounge area into a winter world all year round.

Tire manufacturers spare no effort to offer safe, sustainably manufactured tires that are tailored to the needs of our mobility. Even four tires made of PET bottles and dandelion rubber coexist on asphalt with almost a postcard space, yet still have to meet all requirements such as durability, handling and braking behavior. Yes, that costs money. But if you save on tires, you also save on your own safety.