Latest / The Manufacturing Podcast with Fexingo: Factories, Supply Chains, and Industrial Business
How a German Factory Is Making Car Tires from Dandelions
Dandelions — the weed you can't get rid of — might be the future of rubber. Episode 105 visits the Fraunhofer Institute in Münster, Germany, and the Continental plant in Korbach, where dandelion roots are being turned into tire-grade natural rubber at pilot scale. Lucas and Luna walk through the biology: why Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) produces latex, how the Fraunhofer team bred a variety with roots big enough to harvest, and what it takes to process the roots into rubber that meets auto-industry specs. They also look at the business case — Continental's target of 100%…
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