Guayule: the rubber industry’s Tesla Hybrid
Let’s say you’re being offered a free car; would you choose the car with 500 horsepower and hand-stitched Italian leather interior, or the car that had all those features and was also a hybrid and better for the environment?
Manufacturers face a similar situation when evaluating traditional and synthetic rubber materials against guayule natural rubber for their products. Tropical natural rubber is high performance but has risks associated with tight supplies overseas and poses health dangers to those with a Type 1 latex allergy. Synthetic rubber can be less expensive, but then performance is sacrificed and it has the environmental costs of being a petrochemical product. However, because rubber made from the guayule plant is both environmentally sustainable and even higher performing than tropical natural rubber, it’s no wonder why guayule rubber has been replacing synthetic, petroleum-based materials as well as imported natural rubber in a wide variety of products.
In a time when society’s emphasis on environmental accountability is ever increasing, manufacturers are beginning to break away from traditional materials and are embracing more sustainable materials, such as guayule latex, in an array of industries. Guayule is a domestic plant grown in the Southwestern United States, which means American manufacturers choosing to use guayule-based materials in their products are helping save the approximately 1,885,700 gallons of fuel a cargo ship transporting rubber from Southeast Asia would consume.
Not only is the carbon footprint of industrial guayule latex smaller than traditional Hevea –based materials, but energy could actually be recovered during the process of producing guayule latex. Bagasse, the byproduct of latex extraction, can be used in the organosolv process to generate energy equivalent to that produced from coal, only much cleaner! In addition, guayule thrives in an ecosystem where other crops can’t grow, so it doesn’t create competition with other industrialized crops for ground surface.
While it’s clear that guayule latex is more environmentally friendly than traditional latex, other reasons are persuading more manufacturers to use this breakthrough material. Latex has become an essential part of preventing the spread of infectious diseases, especially in medical gloves and condoms, but along with the increased use of latex has been an increase in latex allergies. About three million Americans suffer from a latex allergy, but guayule-based latex is hypoallergenic, which means these latex-sensitive people can still receive the same degree of protection against the spread of infectious disease. One study proves that guayule latex is a safe alternative to traditional Hevea-based latex for those with Type I Hev-b latex allergies. The study points to guayule’s unique protein structure to explain. The study shows that guayule latex is low in protein and that its proteins are not recognized by human antibodies specific for Hev-b latex proteins. For those suffering with a latex allergy, Yulex® Natural Rubber is the luxurious hybrid of the rubber industry, complete with hand-stitched Italian leather interior.
Reducing environmental impact and not being problematic for those with sensitivities are both great qualities, but the bottom line is the quality of products produced with the material. A story published in “Discoveries & Breakthroughs Inside Science” relays that in a test, Yulex Natural Rubber made from guayule was more flexible and could withstand nearly twice the amount of force as traditional latex. The strength of guayule-based materials has also been put to the test in the form of tires, building materials and other industrial products.
The decreased carbon emission from shipping, its sustainable nature and the potential for energy production make Yulex Natural Rubber the most environmentally friendly material in the rubber industry. Combined with its safety for those with a latex allergy and its increased strength and flexibility, Yulex Natural Rubber is the Tesla hybrid of the rubber industry.
