ARTIFICIAL TURF INFILL WITH NATURAL FIBER AND RUBBER GRANULATE

• US 20190316303A1
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Melos GmbH (Poly Comp Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Melos GmbH (Poly Comp Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: SIEKMANN, Jorg
• Granted Patent: US 11,859,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/202 Artificial grass
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 13/08 Surfaces simulating grass ; Grass-grown sports grounds grass-like surfaces for skiing E01C13/12
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 13/083 Construction of grass-grown sports grounds; Drainage, irrigation or heating arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23921 With particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2998 including synthetic resin or polymer

Abstract

An artificial turf includes an artificial turf infill. The artificial turf infill includes natural fiber mixed with rubber granulate. The artificial turf infill includes between 10% and 40% of the natural fiber by weight. The natural fiber includes any one of hemp fiber, cotton fiber, burlap fiber, sisal fiber, elephant grass fiber, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. An artificial turf comprising an artificial turf infill, wherein the artificial turf infill comprises natural fiber mixed with rubber granulate, wherein the artificial turf infill comprises between 10% and 40% of the natural fiber by weight, wherein the natural fiber comprises any one of the following:

hemp fiber, cotton fiber, burlap fiber, sisal fiber, elephant grass fiber, cellulose fiber, or combinations thereof.

2. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the artificial turf infill consists of the natural fiber and the rubber granulate.

3. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the rubber granulate is a vulcanized rubber granulate.

4. The artificial turf of claim 3, wherein the vulcanized rubber granulate further comprise a filler material.

5. The artificial turf of claim 4, wherein the filler material comprises any one of the following:

Kaolinite, chalk, and combinations thereof.

6. The artificial turf of claim 3, wherein the vulcanized rubber granulate comprises:

15% to 25% of the EPDM granulate by weight; and

/or

23% to 26% of the mineral oil by weight; and

/or

50% to 55% of the filler material by weight.

7. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein natural fiber has a maximum length selected from any one of the following:

0.3 cm, 0.5 cm, or 1 cm.

8. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the vulcanized rubber granulate further comprises a poly ethylene based dye and a compatibilizer.

9. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the rubber granulate has a diameter between any one of the following:

0.5 mm and 5.0 mm;

0.7 mm and 4.0 mm;

or 0.8 mm and 3.0 mm.

10. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the artificial turf comprises an artificial turf carpet.

11. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the artificial turf further comprises a sprinkler system.

12. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the rubber granulate comprises at least one outer coating, wherein the at least one outer coating comprises a binding agent, wherein at least a portion of the natural fiber is attached to rubber granulate by the at least one outer coating.

22. The artificial turf of claim 1, wherein the rubber granulate comprises outer coatings, wherein one of the outer coatings covers a portion of a surface of the rubber granulate and comprises a binding agent, wherein at least a portion of the natural fiber is attached to the rubber granulate by the one of the outer coatings, wherein another one of the outer coatings covers another portion of the surface of the rubber granulate and a portion of a surface of the one of the outer coatings and comprises another hinging agent, wherein at least another portion of the natural fiber is attached to the rubber granulate by the other one of the outer coatings.

13. A method of at least partially manufacturing an artificial turf, wherein the method comprises mixing natural fiber and rubber granulate to provide artificial turf infill, wherein the artificial turf infill comprises between 10% and 40% of the natural fiber by weight, wherein the natural fiber comprises any one of hemp fiber, cotton fiber, burlap fiber, sisal fiber, elephant grass fiber, cellulose fiber, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

installing an artificial turf carpet on a surface, wherein the artificial turf carpet comprises a pile; and

spreading the artificial turf infill within the pile.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

providing an initial composition comprising the natural fiber and the rubber granulate, and a fluid binding agent; and

mixing the initial composition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the initial composition further comprises a first type of pigment, wherein the fluid binding agent comprises at least one type of polymer component, wherein the method further comprises adding water and a catalyst to the initial composition during the mixing of the initial composition to cure the fluid binding agent and the at least one type of pigment into an initial coating of the granulate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

providing a subsequent composition comprising the natural fiber and the rubber granulate with the initial coating, at least one second type of pigment, and the fluid binding agent;

mixing the subsequent composition; and

adding water and the catalyst to the subsequent composition during the mixing of the subsequent composition to cure the fluid binding agent and the at least one type of pigment into a subsequent coating of the granulate.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the rubber granulate has an average diameter between 0.1 mm and 3.0 mm and/or wherein the rubber granulate has a maximum diameter less than 5.0 mm.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the polymer component is cured into at least one type of polyurethane by the water and catalyst.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the fluid binding agent comprises a liquid polyurethane component.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing an initial composition comprising the natural fiber and the rubber granulate, and a fluid binding agent comprising at least one type of polymer component;

mixing the initial composition,

adding water and a catalyst to the initial composition during the mixing of the initial composition to cure the fluid binding agent into an initial coating of the granulate;

providing a subsequent composition comprising the natural fiber and the rubber granulate with the initial coating, and the fluid binding agent;

mixing the subsequent composition; and

adding water and the catalyst to the subsequent composition during the mixing of the subsequent composition to cure the fluid binding agent into a subsequent coating of the granulate.

21. An turf infill, wherein the artificial turf infill comprises natural fiber mixed with rubber granulate, wherein the artificial turf infill comprises between 10% and 40% of the natural fiber by weight, wherein the natural fiber comprises any one of hemp fiber, cotton fiber, burlap fiber, sisal fiber, elephant grass fiber, cellulose fiber, or combinations thereof.

23. A method of at least partially manufacturing a turf infill for an artificial turf, wherein the method comprises mixing natural fiber rubber granulate to provide artificial turf infill, wherein the artificial turf infill comprises between 10% and 40% of the natural fiber by weight, wherein the natural fiber comprises any one of hemp fiber, cotton fiber, burlap fiber, sisal fiber, elephant grass fiber, cellulose fiber, or combinations thereof.