A Sociotechnical Survey of Guayule Rubber Commercialization

摘要

A comprehensive technology assessment is made of the commercialization in the U.S. southwest of the guayule plant as a major domestic source of rubber. The future prospects for natural rubber will determine the future for guayule. Five factors favor the commercialization of guayule: (1) There is no technical basis for the disproportionate control which synthetic rubber now has on the world elastomer market; (2) There is the likelihood that an international rubber stockpile of approximately 88 million pounds of various grades of rubber will be established, thereby stabilizing prices; (3) The potential demand in third world countries is just beginning to materialize; (4) The price comparison between natural rubber and synthetic rubber may shift in favor of natural rubber; and (5) There is potential for increasing natural rubber production to the levels required to meet much higher demand.