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Goldenrod rubber (also known in the United States as domestic rubber) was natural rubber made from goldenrods (Solidago) available domestically in the United States instead of the typical sources, Pará rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) available in Africa and Asia. The initiative to seek a domestic crop as the source to supply the rubber industry in the United States was started in the 1920s after the World War I by Thomas Edison with his concern on the raising cost and the availability of rubber in the time of war. Edison, Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford created the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in Fort Myers, Florida to start the initiative.^[1]

Plant selection

[1] Each contributed $25,000 to create the Edison Botanic Research Corporation. Solidago leavenworthii

Edison also developed latex-rich goldenrod strain, Solidago latissimifolia, which grew to 12 feet tall. It was later named after him as Solidago edisoniana. ^[1] http://blogs.nybg.org/science-talk/2013/10/in-search-of-thomas-edisons-botanical-treasures/

Extraction of rubber

Quality improvement

In 1936, the U.S. Department of Agriculture which took over the development of the goldenrod rubber relocated the facility to Georgia.^[1] http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19450821&id=4v5PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H1UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1547,6573484

The end of goldenrod rubber

In parallel to the research and development of goldenrod rubber, European countries started their research on synthetic rubber in the 1920s to the 1930s. In the 1940s B.F. Goodrich Company created a process for cost-effective synthetic rubber production.

In 1945, after the World War II was ended, the fear of rubber shorten due to the potential of rubber tree resources in Southeast Asia being taken over by Japan was relieved. http://books.google.com/books?id=5pt61sXrfNwC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false (

With the availability of synthetic rubber and the end of World War II, the quest for creating rubber from goldenrods was eventually ended.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Harrison, Carlos (2011). "Bouncing Back to Life: Restoring the Florida laboratory where Thomas Edison sought a substitute for rubber". Preservation. Retrieved 12 November 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

[preservation-1] Harrison, Carlos (2011). "Bouncing Back to Life: Restoring the Florida laboratory where Thomas Edison sought a substitute for rubber". Preservation. Retrieved 12 November 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

[1]