Japan's Bridgestone plans to conduct research in the US to develop alternatives to natural rubber for tires by 2015, the company said Thursday. The tire maker plans to develop US-grown guayule plants "as a commercially viable, renewable source of high-quality natural rubber."
The research will be carried out by Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations and Bridgestone Corp.
BATO is seeking land to establish a pilot farm and a rubber process research center in southwestern US. Bridgestone expects to finalize a location, establish the farm and begin construction of the research center later in 2012.
"The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2014. Trial rubber production should start in 2015," Bridgestone said.
The Bridgestone initiative to develop alternatives to natural rubber is part of an emerging trend among tire makers. Natural rubber is currently derived from the hevea tree.
On February 29, US Cooper Tire & Rubber and Yulex signed an agreement to develop alternatives to natural rubber, namely the guayule plant.
Guayule is a desert rubber plant, a perennial shrub, that is native to the arid and semi-arid areas of southwestern US, Mexico.
