Continental installs first machines in Taraxagum Lab Anklam research laboratory

The dandelion-based rubber called Taraxagum obtained from the root of the Russian dandelion is a joint development by Continental, the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), the Julius Kühn Institute, and the plant breeder Aeskulap GmbH.

The leading international tire manufacturer has reached an important milestone in its research project for the industrialization of dandelion rubber in tire production. At the ContiWinterRoadshow Continental presented the first test tires made from the innovative material that the company is calling Taraxagum, derived from the botanical name for the dandelion (taraxacum).

Work on completing the test facilities is going ahead at the Taraxagum Lab Anklam. The first machines that will be used to extract rubber from dandelion roots were installed recently.

Continental is researching the industrialization of rubber from the Russian dandelion plant in the TLA (Taraxagum Lab Anklam) laboratory. The tire manufacturer aims to use dandelion rubber as a sustainable alternative to rubber from the rain forest, while at the same time reducing CO2 emissions thanks to short transportation routes.