If it works, if it’s affordable, and if it makes us that much less reliant upon the crappier parts of the world… hey, great, soy-infused tires.
Goodyear’s New Tire Is Made From Soybean Oil, Rice Husks And Pine Resin
At CES 2023, the company revealed a tire in which 90 percent of its components are materials that come from sustainable sources. Goodyear says there are 17 sustainable ingredients that include things like recycled polyester and plant-based components like soybean oil, rice husk waste, and “bio-renewable” pine tree resin. It also uses steel with “high recycled content” and “ISCC certified mass balance polymers from bio- and bio-circular feedstock.”
There have been concerns about the availability of natural rubber (i.e. from rubber trees on rubber plantations in places like south east Asia) due to the usual concerns: climate change, China, diseases, etc. So if a perfectly cromulent replacement for natural rubber can be had from stuff that can be grown in the US… yahoo. For too long has the wealth of the modern world poured into other lands.
4 responses to “Synthetic natural tire rubber”
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison tried the same thing, be nice if it worked this time. Synthetic tire rubber is a petroleum product. I’d like to see soy rubber- chemistry experimentation is a wonderful thing and a benefit to mankind. But why not engineer bacteria to spit out latex?
I am leery of using gengineered microorganisms to make new chemicals. Because these sort of things tend to get out into the world, and pretty soon you have a new infections disease that causes you to grow your own gimp suit.
It’s always a little dangerous when we compete with our cars for food.
What does it taste like?