Ford, in order to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, is going to replace synthetic plastics with natural material in its cars, which will receive from dandelions. Forda engineers, together with researchers of the University of Ohio, found out that the milk-white substance that stands out from the roots of Russian dandelions or Taraxacum Kok-Saghyz can be used to obtain natural material. This material in the future can be an alternative to a synthetic rubber. This material is not only inherent in high strength, while it is also environmentally friendly material. Today, researchers from the agricultural research center OGIO are already engaged in the cultivation of dandelions for the purpose of the experiment. Dandelions grown by scientists are much more resilient than ordinary dandelions, which in large quantities can be seen in the spring on the lawns. Researchers pay special attention to the issue of mass cultivation of dandelions in greenhouses. Thanks to this, scientists will be able to study how much the material received from dandelions meets today’s strength standards to use it instead of synthetic rubber.
According to Angels Harris, Ford specialists, the company’s specialists are constantly looking for new environmentally friendly materials to use cars in the production of cars. Since the production of synthetic rubber harms the environment, the company wants to achieve minimal use of it in its vehicles. She believes that dandelions have tremendous potential for replacing synthetic rubber.
To date, Ford is already using environmentally friendly materials in many areas. Thus, she contributes to the preservation of our ecosystem. For example, soy foam is used for the production of pillows, the lower part of the body is made of recycled resins, processed yarn is used as a material for covers, plastic with natural fibers is used for internal components, and straw is used as a filler. If the new material from dandelions pass a test with positive results, the company will be able to refuse to use synthetic plastic, which will contribute to the protection and maintenance of the environment.