Tomato tyresSumitomo Rubber Industries, which sells the Dunlop brand, has been working to manufacture a new synthetic rubber by breeding rubber trees that contain tomato-derived enzymes. As tomato enzymes have a strength-enhancing effect, this new rubber is expected to reduce the wear of the tyres. Tyres for automobiles are generally manufactured with compounds, whereby several kinds of rubber are mixed with such additives as reinforcing agents and coupling agents. The Yokohama Rubber has developed a technology for producing butadiene from plants such as sugarcane and used it to make prototype tyres. The company has set a target of producing the new product on a commercial basis in 2034.
