AFRL teams with industry to expand alternative natural rubber supply
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, launched a multimillion-dollar, multiyear program with BioMADE, Farmed Materials and The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 2022 to develop a domestic source of natural rubber from a specific species of dandelion. Natural rubber is a crucial element in the Department of the Air Force's production of aircraft tires. The Materials and Manufacturin