The United States is completely dependent upon southeast Asian sources of natural rubber, a critical raw material in 50,000 products, which cannot be replaced by synthetic elastomers. All commercially available natural rubber is tapped by hand as latex by poorly paid workers. Rubber trees are grown as genetically identical clones and are extremely prone to fungal pathogens and other diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragile nature of our rubber supply chain. Dr. Cornish will discuss these issues and how we can develop supply security with the United States and our own manufacture of protective gloves and other products.
Dr. Cornish is Professor & Ohio Research Scholar of Bio-Emergent Materials in the Departments of Horticulture and Crop Science & Food Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University. Dr. Cornish leads a research program in alternate rubber production and bio-emergent materials including food processing wastes for value-added products and biofuels. She is also Director of Research for the Program of Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives (PENRA), an industrial academic consortium. Dr. Cornish is the leading U.S. scientific expert, and is internationally recognized as a principal authority, on alternative natural rubber production, properties and products, and on natural rubber biosynthesis.
2022-2023 Ashland University Environmental Lecture Series
Registration Link: https://ashlanduniversity.zoom.us/webinar/register/4116676025799/WN_8w7ztTJ4QCGQcroQTc--3Q
Event Duration: 1 - 3 hours
Date: February 2, 2023
Time: 7:30 pm
End Time: 8:45 pm
Time Zone: EST