From automobile and aircraft tires, to belts and hoses, natural rubber production is essential to modern production. Unfortunately, the world’s primary rubber supply—the tropical rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis—is shrinking, and supply chains originate outside of the U.S.  

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are working with colleagues at The Ohio State University to accelerate natural rubber production in the United States.

Supported by $26 million in federal funding through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (ERC), the OSU-led research project aims to enhance workforce development to fuel the new domestic industry.

Two faculty members from Case School of Engineering’s Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Gary Wnek and Valentin Rodionov, will lead the CWRU research teams for the Transformation of American Rubber through Domestic Innovation for Supply Security (TARDISS) ERC.

“It is exciting to be part of this team, which is truly an interdisciplinary one focused on a most timely and important topic,” Wnek shared.

Growing rubber

While the U.S. climate is not conducive to growing the in-demand trees currently needed to produce rubber, different plants like dandelions and guayule can be utilized. To be competitive in rubber production, researchers must identify the most efficient ways to grow and harvest such plants to produce rubber—a key element of Rodionov’s portion of the project.

To do so, Rodionov and his team will first develop artificial versions of the substances found in natural rubber particles, called surfactants. The team will then use advanced imaging techniques to study the surfactants in order to understand how artificial membranes and rubber transferase (RTase) proteins work together, potentially leading to improved methods for producing natural rubber.

Using domestically developed rubber

Once it’s established, the rubber production will need to be manipulated so it can be properly used in a wide range of products. To address this, Wnek’s team will explore multi-layering of the natural rubber, as well as other rubbery polymers. During this phase of the project, the group will fine-tune key properties of multilayered rubber—elasticity, oxygen and moisture transmission, and vibration damping—and study how certain fillers can be incorporated to enhance performance characteristics.  

In addition to research contributions, Wnek will work closely with a team from OSU and other partner institutions focused on workforce development with particular attention given to developing skills that span professional and personal development.