Chemical Engineering November 2013 - 13

Dandelion rubber
L
ast month saw the start of a fiveyear
joint research project to extract
rubber from dandelion plants to make
tires. In collaboration with Continental
AG (Hannover, Germany; www.
continental-tires.com), the Fraunhofer
Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied
Ecology (IME; Aachen, Germany;
www.fraunhofer.de), will build a pilot
plant capable of producing natural rubber
by the ton in Munster, Germany. In
addition, the researchers will cultivate
several hectares of a dandelion variety
Transporting more H2 gas
T
he Linde Group (Munich, Germany;
www.linde.com) has developed a new
storage technology that will enable a
much more efficient transport of larger
amounts of hydrogen. The new solution
works at a higher pressure of 500
bars (7,250 psi) and uses new, lighter
storage materials to more than double
the amount of compressed gaseous hydrogen
(CGH2) that can be transported
that is particularly rich in rubber. The
first prototype tires made with blends
from dandelion rubber are scheduled to
be tested on public roads over the next
few years.
IME has been focusing on the Russian
variety of dandelion because it is
the only type that has large quantities
of rubber within its white latex sap.
Through modern cultivation methods
and optimization of systems technology,
IME researchers have succeeded in
manufacturing high-grade natural rubin
a single truck load. Successful field
tests with a first reference client have
demonstrated the advantages of the
500-bar technology over conventional
200-bar systems.
Linde has opened a 500-bar fueling
station at its gases center in Leuna,
Germany. The company developed the
new 500-bar trailers in collaboration
with compressed-gas-storage specialber
from dandelions in the laboratory
(Chem. Eng., October 2009, p. 14).
The dandelion has three main advantages
over conventional rubber
trees: its vegetation period is only one
year (not several); it can be harvested
immediately, and further optimized
by breeding; and it does not require
a sub-tropical climate to grow. The
dandelion is also less vulnerable to
pests, and can be grown on land areas
not previously suited for agricultural
crops, says IME.
ist Wystrach GmbH (Weeze, Germany;
www.wystrach-gmbh.de). Each trailer
features 100 lightweight composite storage
elements developed in collaboration
with xperion Energy & Environment
GmbH (Kassel, Germany; www.xperionenergy.de.
A single trailer can transport
over 1,100 kg (13,000 Nm3) of H2 gas. In
addition, the trailers can now be filled
and emptied in less than 60 minutes.
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http://www.continental-tires.com http://www.fraunhofer.de http://www.linde.com http://www.wystrach-gmbh.de http://www.xperion http://www.energy.de http://www.chemstations.com/flowsheets http://adlinks.che.com/45778-07

Chemical Engineering November 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering November 2013