A Century Of History Has Created A Sustainable Economic Reality: The Next Hundred Years Of Rubber Belong To Guayule

The United States relies almost entirely on imports of rubber and resin. The only crop that can produce all three of these strategic materials is Guayule (Parthenium argentatum,Gray). Like the ACS Rubber Division, guayule rubber has a 100 year history in the United States, from Model-T tires to circumallergenic™ medical and consumer products with unmatched performance. Also, guayule produces a large amount of terpene resin. The resin exhibits bulk properties that allow its direct use in adhesives, it shows promise as substitution for current tire resin, and possesses various bioactive properties.  The rubber emulsion process creates a finely ground lignocellulosic biomass that is low in ash content but high in hydrocarbon and can be used as a biofuel feedstock for bio-oils or alcohols.  

Guayule is an environmentally-benign crop that can be grown sustainably in the US without government subsidy.  It uses relatively little water, needs no pesticide, and has a carbon-neutral footprint.  Guayule is becoming an integral part of the socioeconomic fabric of the United States – the crop, the rubber, and the products can all be made here. Guayule is revitalizing US agriculture and manufacturing with sustainable “green jobs” and will turn the US into a rubber exporting country.