Guayule natural rubber offers a greener option in condoms »
Last year, 437 million condoms were sold in the United States alone. Yes, it’s true; condoms are a very popular birth control option preferred by both men and women. Currently, a majority of condoms are manufactured in Southeast Asia and imported into the US. However, that could soon change thanks to Yulex. With the help of guayule natural rubber, Yulex plans to partner with a manufacturer to produce safe, natural condoms made from an American product. Additionally, this could help to minimize that factory-to-market journey.
See the March 2009 article from Slate.com, What’s the Greenest Form of Birth Control to learn more.
Guayule continues to provide innovative solutions for medical devices »
One medical product made from Yulex® Natural Rubber, examination gloves from Yulex Corp., already has 510(k) FDA approval but there’s another product expected to receive the same approval later this year. TechDevice Corp., makers of a new guayule natural rubber balloon catheter, plan to file their submission with the FDA during the second quarter of 2009 and approval is expected soon thereafter.
According to TechDevice, guayule is a natural choice with its improved physical, chemical and biological properties over high-end synthetic materials often used in balloon catheters. It’s also more effective with better tensile strength than enzyme-treated tropical natural rubber latex. Extensive testing data from the Yulex 510(k) application for exam gloves also will help as TechDevice moves forward with its submission to the FDA.
Though TechDevice initially will use Yulex Natural Rubber for the development and manufacturing of three balloon catheters, the company believes that catheter balloons are only the first part of numerous possibilities for devices incorporating guayule.
For more information on this development, see the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Medical Product Outsourcing.
Researchers explore guayule’s potential as a fuel of the future »
Guayule is already a commercial source for high performance, safe natural rubber, but researchers from the USDA ARS, Yulex Corporation and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. are exploring the use of guayule as an economical and environmentally friendly energy source. Researchers have found that energy can be made from ground-up guayule stems and branches, called “bagasse,” that are left after the latex has been removed. Guayule bagasse would provide about the same amount of energy as charcoal.
Researchers are exploring use of the bagasse as a source of ethanol, bio-oil, and synthetic gas, or syn-gas. With a pretreatment, guayule bagasse can be readily fermented into ethanol. Additionally, researchers have found that the contents of guayule bagasse can be burned to generate electricity, made into value-added products or converted into bio-oil.
A few benefits of guayule as an energy source:
- Cost: The cost of getting to the bagasse as a starting point has already been borne by the latex-extraction.
- Competition: Guayule isn’t a food or feed crop so it’s doesn’t compete with those uses.
- Clean and Green: the latex extraction process uses water, not harsh solvents.
To learn more, see the recent USDA Agricultural Research Service article, Go Native With This Promising Biofuel—and Biomedical—Crop.
Guayule Natural Rubber Makes Debut »
Yulex® Natural Rubber, made from guayule, will makes its debut at the MDM West Expo in Anaheim, Calif. on Feb. 10-12, 2009. Visit Yulex at booth #714 in Hall E to see, feel and streeetch this unique material!
The possibilities are endless. »
Guayule offers a new, natural rubber alternative to hevea latex without the proteins that trigger allergic reactions and so far, scientists haven’t found anything made out of rubber that they can’t make with guayule, according to Dr. Katrina Cornish of Yulex Corporation. This is good news for the 8.2% of the general population and as many as 17% of healthcare workers in the United States who suffer from latex allergy.
See a new report, Protect Yourself from Latex Allergy, from Ivanhoe Broadcast News for more information.
