Car tyres made from dandelions . Also known as Kazakh dandelion or rubber root, Russian dandelion resembles the familiar dandelion, but the leaves are thicker and have a grayish tint. The Russian dandelion, Taraxacum kok-saghyz, was discovered in Eastern Kazakhstan in 1931. Plant Root Conveyor. Before carrying out the two main activities, spark your students’ interest with this starter activity introducing the topic of rubber and the Russian dandelion. Give each student one dried Russian dandelion root. Dr. rer.nat. Mareike Göbel is a PhD student in Professor Dr Martin Gröger’s Chemistry Didactics group at the University of Siegen, Germany. To prompt them, ask where natural rubber usually comes from. VIEWS. Wash out the mortar with some water to remove the woody powder. You might spot an elastic band, a pencil eraser, or perhaps one of the biggest users of rubber – car tyres. Rubber is used in so many products because of its unique chemical and physical characteristics. However, rubber biosynthesis must be improved to develop T. koksaghyz into a commercially feasible crop. In fact, over 40 000 everyday products are produced from natural and synthetic rubber. Bridgestone and Ohio State University are working together to produce rubber from Russian dandelion roots. Place the rubber particles back into the mortar, which should still be slightly wet (figure 6). New research is looking into dandelion roots for rubber production. The natural rubber is extracted over multiple stages. As yet, it has no artificial replacement. The chains are interwoven with one another like a plate of cooked spaghetti. Natural rubber obtained from dandelions could reduce the dependence on imports from Asia. In the 1930s, Russia experimented with making rubber from dandelion roots but abandoned the project after the war. This article, which provides information on how rubber can be made using a species of dandelion, can be used for chemistry, biology and environmental sciences lessons. (Body heat helps the rubber to form.) Taraxacum kok-saghyz, often abbreviated as TKS and commonly referred to as the Kazakh dandelion, rubber root, or Russian dandelion, is a species of dandelion native to Kazakhstan, Kirghizia and Uzbekistan, that is notable for its production of high quality rubber. 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Fraunhofer researchers have established the basis for the large-scale production of high quality rubber with Russian dandelion. The colour of the sodium hydroxide solution will change from clear to brown, but the solution will remain transparent. Compared to tree-sourced rubber, the Russian dandelion is extremely resilient and can be grown in moderate climates on poor soils. In her thesis, she develops experimental approaches for extracting rubber and inulin from the roots of Russian dandelion and tests and evaluates them with students. In the second method, sodium hydroxide is used to erode the woody parts of the root, and students can stretch out the fine strands of rubber that remain. “Dandelions also have the advantage of growing anually. Please login or create an account to be able to subscribe. Natural rubber (NR ) is an important raw material for a large number of industrial products. Grind the rubber particles until they stick together (figure 7) and form a piece of rubber about 0.5–1 cm in length (figure 8). The rubber from fresh dandelion roots is an emulsion of polymer micro-particles, similar to the sap from a rubber tree. Yet the decisive breakthrough to industrial manufacturing is proving to be a tough step. However, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME were able to identify a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to the natural rubber tree: the dandelion. Nadya Krasnushkina, Kommersant (Russia) To this end, the scientists developed an eco-friendly technique whereby only the roots are pulverized because the leaves contain very little rubber. The greater the number of roots you have, the more time and effort is required to grind them. You can now test the piece of rubber as an eraser. In the dried roots, however, the rubber is a solid aggregate. The latex is allowed to coagulate to form rubber and is then carefully rolled off the finger. Read More. Researchers have optimized the Russian dandelion to … Dandelion Rubber from Continental Nominated as One of the Top 3 Projects at the GreenTec Awards 2014. Seeing and experiencing the elasticity of rubber from the Russian dandelion is sufficient proof of natural rubber. Taraxacum kok-soghyz also known as the TKS dandelion, rubber root, and Russian dandelion was discovered in the 1930s as a possible source of rubber. Cover the root with the sodium hydroxide solution. What form does the rubber take in dried dandelion roots? Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) is native to the mountainous regions of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. … The article also describes a novel activity using the roots of the dandelion. While a number of animal and laboratory studies have been conducted, few have progressed to human trials. The Taraxacum species must be grown well in advance, but teachers could grow the plants with students in the spring, and complete the experiment in autumn. The findings showed that after treatment with the dandelion root and leaf positively lowered the total cholesterol, triglycerides, and “bad” LDL. Show students a photo of the Russian dandelion and ask them to find the connection between the dandelion and the rubber products. Göbel M, Gröger M (2017) Alternative Kautschukquellen am Beispiel des russischen Löwenzahns experimentell erschließen. In fields and meadows, the plant must fend off many herbivores, among them cockchafer larvae. Southeast Asia accounts for 95% of global production. These challenges make the future of natural rubber production uncertain. Natural rubber is harvested from the Russian dandelions' roots. 3–4 pieces of dried Russian dandelion root. It is also much quicker to grow dandelions than trees – Russian dandelions can be harvested twice a year, whereas natural rubber trees take 7–10 years to mature before the sap, which is processed into rubber, can first be collected. Place a piece of dandelion root in a test tube. The rubber from fresh dandelion roots is an emulsion of polymer micro-particles, similar to the sap from a rubber tree. Since natural rubber is critical to the quality of many rubber products, industrialized nations in particular regard it as a strategically important resource. During the winter months, the dandelion sloughs off the rubber from the root to the outside and the synthesis is begins again the following spring. Gently extend the threads by pulling them apart (figure 9). It’s the material that provides extreme elasticity, tensile strength and low-temperature flexibility in products from mattresses and gloves to adhesive tape and tires. In this activity, students physically extract rubber from dried Russian dandelion roots to produce a small eraser. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Having plucked the flower off one of them, I was wondering if the expelling white latex contains rubber.” However, Germany’s native dandelions don’t produce sufficient quantities of rubber for being industrially viable. At the end of the process, water is used to separate the resource from the other substances. In South America the infection is now so widespread that large-scale cultivation has become virtually impossible. Place the test tube in the water bath for about one hour. After two months, transfer the plants into flower boxes. This was achieved without genetic modification; instead, Dirk Prüfer and Christian Schulze Gronover analyzed the dandelion’s genome and identified suitable DNA markers. When you break a dandelion root in half, what can you see? Note: you should choose roots with a diameter of about 1 mm, and break them into pieces of about 2–3 cm in length. Alongside the activities, discuss the following questions with your students to teach them about different types of rubber, the properties of rubber, and the importance of sustainability. Thus, Dirk Prüfer points out that rubber from dandelion will not replace the actual source, but will compensate the additional demand in the future. The root of this flower contains 15 per cent latex, the raw material to make rubber. The majority of the world’s natural rubber comes from plantations of the tropical rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis – over 90% of which are cultivated in Southeast Asia. Producing rubber synthetically can help, but it requires the use of crude oil – so it is important to find an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative. Fraunhofer researchers have established the basis for the large-scale production of high quality rubber with Russian dandelion. A species of dandelion is leading the way towards sustainable rubber. These genetic tools could tell already in a very early stage of plant development if a given plant will possess an efficient rubber production. add example. Dandelions are modest plants that are an excellent alternative source for a raw material of high demand: natural rubber, the fundamental ingredient in rubber products. Uses and Markets: The root of the Russian dandelion is a source of a high quality latex, used in making rubber, that is comparable to the latex produced by the Hevea brasiliensis rubber tree. 0.57 MB ], Special Issue Research News June 2015 [ PDF This crop is also much less sensitive to weather than the rubber tree. See also the general safety note. Students can merge the rubber from multiple groups to create a bigger eraser. That’s why the researchers subsequently turned their attention to the Russian dandelion, which produces large amounts of natural rubber. The TKS dandelion is known for its production of high quality rubber (Beilen, 2007). To help students understand more about sustainability and this unusual source of rubber, we developed two simple methods to extract the rubber from the dried roots of the Russian dandelion. These are the rubber particles. A fungus is also creating concern for rubber cultivators. What are the advantages and disadvantages of rubber from. Please contact us via our email address editor@scienceinschool.org. May 30, 2019. in Crops. Ask your students to list rubber products that they use in their everyday lives. “The dandelion natural rubber has ideal material properties. When you stretch rubber, the chains are pulled apart but do not break, due to the linkages between the entangled chains (figure 2). An elastomer (a polymer with elastic properties, such as rubber) can be stretched to over 100% of its original length without breaking. The other good option for rubber, Russian or Kazak dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz), is a fast-growing plant with a high-quality rubber that was discovered in 1931 in Kazakhstan . cordis. Now, environmental and economic factors are reviving interest in this alternative raw material. It would be interesting to follow the whole process, from seeds to rubber. In this activity, students dissolve the outer, woody material of the dried roots to gain access to the inner net of rubber. 0. According to Nyerges TKS has 20 percent latex content, while the officinale species has 16-17 percent dry-weight latex. Research News - Special Issue / In the 1930’s, Russia produced ~30% of their domestic rubber from 67,000 hectares of this plant. Read more in an article from. Wählen Sie aus erstklassigen Inhalten zum Thema Dandelion Root in höchster Qualität. The Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecologyw1, based at the University of Münster, and the tyre company Continentalw2 are just two of the organisations working on using Russian dandelion as an alternative source of rubber. Now Professor Dirk Prüfer and his colleague Dr. Christian Schulze Gronover from Fraunhofer IME in Münster are developing Taraxacum kok-saghyz, also known as Russian dandelion, as an efficient replacement for the natural rubber tree. Instruct them to carefully break the root in half so they can see the very fine elastic rubber threads within the root (figure 3). SHARES. The natural rubber tree takes between seven and ten years to deliver the first harvest.”. The root will now be soft. “I was sitting in a meadow in the Sauerland region in Germany, and it was absolutely covered with dandelions. As you grind the roots, remove any small, globular brown particles in the mortar using tweezers, and place aside on the watch glass. Students should wear lab coats and safety goggles. In the dried roots, however, the rubber is a solid aggregate. What are the advantages and disadvantages of dandelion rubber? We live in a time when we must reconsider our habits and how we use natural resources. With the help of precision breeding, the researchers were quickly able to double the amount of natural rubber in the Russian dandelion. Increasing demands and potential problems with a devestating fungus have made natural rubber into a valuable resource. Christian Schulze Gronover, Dr. Carla Recker und Prof. Dr. Dirk Prüfer (vlnr) 5 ml of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution (3%). Approximately 40,000 products of everyday life contain natural rubber. Why is it important to look for alternative sources of rubber like the Russian dandelion? The roots of this dandelion species contain the natural rubber latex (the source for natural rubber used in tires), meaning supply will be steadier and easier to control leading to greater price stability. The primary source of NR is the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis , but increased worldwide demand means that alternative sustainable sources are urgently required.The Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz Rodin) is such an alternative because large amounts of NR are produced in its root system. 0.32 MB ]. Relying on natural rubber to meet rising demands is not only unsustainable, but also risky: yields of natural rubber are falling due to a decline in prices, which has resulted in farmers switching to more profitable plantations such as palm oil. In the first method, students grind the roots into a powder to extract the rubber particles and create their own eraser. The Russian dandelion, native to Kazakhstan, was cultivated in the Soviet Union as a domestic source of rubber in the 1930s to 50s, and after World War II to help combat the rubber shortage in Europe. When the Japanese seized rubber plantations in Southeast Asia during World War II, other countries, including the USA and Germany, started farming the dandelion as an alternative. Today, research into the Russian dandelion is growing. This means that it can be grown locally, reducing dependence on imports. Currently, all our natural rubber comes from Hevea brasiliensis, a tree that grows under subtropical climate. Ingela Bursjöö, science teacher and science education researcher, Johannebergsskolan Elementary School, Sweden, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental sciences, Design technology, History. The objective was to find the hypolipidemic (lowering of cholesterol) and antioxidative effects the dandelion might have. Wide Shot of Facility. Soon after its discovery, the Soviet Union began large-scale cultivation of T. kok-saghyz to extract the rubber and end the country’s dependence on imports (see Göbel & Gröger, 2016). The development of tires with rubber made from the dandelion root at Continental has been very promising. For their work on the Russian dandelion and its application as a source of natural rubber, Dirk Prüfer, Christian Schulze Gronover and Carla Recker are recipients of the 2015 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize. Read More. The disease now also appears to have taken root in Southeast Asia’s rubber belt. It is particularly suitable for discussing sustainability issues related to technological development, and for considering global questions regarding biodiversity. The tires are equivalent to those made from Hevea natural rubber,” says Dr. Carla Recker of Continental. To extend the activities, however, you could chemically detect the double bonds in polyisoprene, for example using bromine, potassium permanganate (Baeyer test) or the Burchfield colour reaction (see Göbel & Gröger, 2017). Finden Sie perfekte Stock-Fotos zum Thema Dandelion Root sowie redaktionelle Newsbilder von Getty Images. To dry them, place the roots on paper towels and leave them at room temperature for 3–4 weeks. Place the dried dandelion roots into the mortar (figure 4). In 2010 a study was done on dandelion root and leaf and its effect on rabbits fed with a high-cholesterol diet. T. kok-saghyz was discovered in Kazakhstan in 1932 by the Soviet Union in an effort to find a domestic source of rubber. This procedure involves the use of sodium hydroxide solution. To make the rubber, part of a finger is coated with dandelion latex. By Ian Hodgson 12 December 2012 • 10:56 am . Natural rubber consists of long chains of cis-1,4-polyisoprene (figure 1), each comprising up to 30 000 isoprene monomers. The whole preparation process will take approximately seven months from February to September, but teachers could use this opportunity to teach students about plants and the requirements for growing them. Yields of … Explain its elasticity. The plant has the yellow flowers characteristic of the dandelion genus, but the roots contain a higher percentage of rubber than the familiar species of dandelion found in Europe. Natural rubber production is responsible for widespread deforestation, and most of this rubber is used to make tyres. Find out how, by growing this unusual plant yourself and extracting the rubber from the roots. Continental and Fraunhofer Join Forces to Bring Dandelion Rubber to the Roads . Continue grinding the roots until no further brown particles are formed in the powder. What’s more, the Russian dandelion produces inulin (a sugar substitute and potential biofuel) as a by-product. Look around you: what objects can you see that are made from rubber? Dr. rer.nat. posted by AgNook Editor. ,Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Preis: Several freshly-picked dandelions are needed to collect a sufficient quantity of the secretion. When the war ended and supplies from the rubber tree, H. brasiliensis, became available again, research on the Russian dandelion ceased – until recently. 1–2 pieces of dried Russian dandelion root. The activities can be carried out by students aged 11–14 or older, in small groups of three or four, and will take about two hours. As natural rubber production falls short of demand, it’s time to consider alternatives, like the dandelion. rubber and inulin production from the Russian dandelion, The resting potential: introducing foundations of the nervous system, Science at home: distance learning with EMBL, Cans with a kick: the science of energy drinks. Climate change and crop diseases pose additional threats. Where the Rubber Meets the Dandelion Root New Research into the Viability of Domestic Rubber Production. June 08, 2015. However, if the entire world production will be based on dandelion rubber, one would need the size of Austria for its cultivation. The performance of tires made of dandelion natural rubber has already proven in action, and manufacturer Continental has tested a first version. Tires made from dandelions should be commercially available in five to 10 years. “The plant is extremely resilient, able to grow in moderate climates and even in soil that is not or just barely suited for the cultivation of food and feed crops,” explains Christian Schulze Gronover. Seeds can be purchased onlinew3 and should be sown in February in a window-sill greenhouse. In initial field trials T. koksaghyz was grown as annual crop from March to October and small quantities of dandelion rubber were produced. Using the pestle, grind the roots for 5–10 minutes until they become a homogeneous powder (figure 5). The rediscovery began around 2007, when a team of researchers at Ohio State University started exploring dandelion and guayule, a desert shrub native to … Taraxacum (/ təˈræksəkʊm /) is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. Continental and Fraunhofer Join Forces to Bring Dandelion Rubber to the Roads. Apollo Vredestein, a multinational tire manufacturer, is working with KeyGene, and the two have developed prototype tires made from the plant. 0. Construction costs for OSU's facility were reduced by designing the plant's process equipment to be skid-mounted and fabricated off site. Fungicides still provide at least temporary protection. The genus is native to Eurasia and North America, but the two commonplace species worldwide, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, were introduced from Europe and now propagate as wildflowers. After one hour, remove the root from the test tube using tweezers. Dandelions are modest plants that are an excellent alternative source for a raw material of high demand: natural rubber, the fundamental ingredient in rubber products. You can harvest the roots from August onwards. Source: Fraunhofer-GesellschaftFraunhofer-Gesellschaft - Natural rubber from dandelions, Online in Internet; URL: https://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2015/June/natural-rubber-from-dandelions.html, Left to right: Dr. Christian Schulze Gronover, Dr. Carla Recker (Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH) and Prof. Dirk Prüfer make use of the Russian dandelion to obtain natural rubber for subsequent use in the manufacture of car tires.,Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Preis: Rubber can be extracted from the juice of the dandelion. 462. Dandelion Rubber from Continental Nominated as One of the Top 3 Projects at the GreenTec Awards 2014. Using tweezers, carefully wash the root by dipping it into the water from the water bath. Dandelion Root. Extraction of natural rubber from the plant was another challenge. Most natural rubber comes from rubber trees in Southeast Asia, but this source is now under threat from a fungus. With this material in such high demand, scientists are exploring an alternative source of rubber from a particular species of the familiar, but underestimated, dandelion: Taraxacum kok-saghyz, commonly known as the Russian dandelion. In this activity, students dissolve the outer, woody material of the dried roots to gain access to the inner net of rubber. Based on historical precedence and earlier research, the Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) has been singled out in an international project, DRIVE4EU, of which GEA is a key partner.The collective goal is to develop a reliable chain for production of not only rubber, but also inulin – both of which are used in products from diverse industry sectors. Note: you should choose roots with a diameter of about 0.5 cm, and break them into pieces of about 3–4 cm in length. Within the species of Dandelion, Taraxacum kok-sanghyz (abreviated as TKS), the Russian or Rubber Dandelion has the highest latex content. In order to meet growing demands, producers turn rainforest into agricultural land. en Making the list at number 29 is Dandelion Rubber, the creation of scientists at the Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME). What are the properties of rubber? The gene editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 has been used to increase the rubber content of Russian dandelion plants. Here is what some of the current research says about dandelion root: Dirk Prüfer decided to investigate the dandelion after a sudden insight on a day out. The company is now working with development partners on the further industrialization of the rubber. Despite its long-standing use in traditional medicine, there is a lack of scientific evidence supporting the medicinal use of dandelion root. Example sentences with "rubber dandelion", translation memory. In preparation for the following activities, you will need to grow the Russian dandelion plant and harvest the roots to dry. 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