In 2012, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (as part of a consortium) was awarded a $6.9 million Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) grant to study the guayule plant as an alternative to Hevea natural rubber used in tires. Cooper is the lead agent in the consortium of organizations that is examining, under the grant, numerous aspects related to this topic including agronomics, plant genetics, rubber extraction and processing, tire science, and others. The work of the consortium has demonstrated that guayule natural rubber is suited for use in several tire components, yet in some cases, it may be advantageous to use epoxidized guayule. This may be particularly true for the tread cap and inner liner components. This presentation will describe epoxidation strategies for both latex and solid rubber. Resulting rubber compound properties will be presented and compared with epoxidized Hevea rubber counterparts.
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