Artificial turf and production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060244-B2
Application number	US-201515553231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2015
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

The method includes creating a polymer mixture, wherein the polymer mixture includes a stabilizing polymer, a bulk polymer, a flame retardant polymer combination, and a compatibilizer. The stabilizing polymer and the bulk polymer are immiscible. The stabilizing polymer includes fibers surrounded by the compatibilizer within the bulk polymer. The stabilizing polymer is aramid. The flame retardant polymer combination is a mixture of triazin and melamine. The method further includes extruding the polymer mixture into a monofilament. The method further includes quenching the monofilament. The method further includes reheating the monofilament. The method further includes stretching the reheated monofilament to align the fibers relative to each other and to form the monofilament into an artificial turf fiber. The method further includes incorporating the artificial turf fiber into an artificial turf backing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing artificial turf, the method comprising:
creating a polymer mixture, wherein the polymer mixture comprises a stabilizing polymer, a bulk polymer comprising a first polymer, a second polymer and a compatibilizer, and a flame retardant polymer combination, wherein the stabilizing polymer and the bulk polymer are immiscible, wherein the stabilizing polymer comprises fibers surrounded by the compatibilizer within the bulk polymer, wherein the stabilizing polymer is aramid, wherein the flame retardant polymer combination is a mixture of triazine and melamine, and wherein the first polymer, the second polymer and the stabilizing polymer are immiscible, wherein the first polymer forms polymer beads surrounded by the compatibilizer within the second polymer;
extruding the polymer mixture into a monofilament;
quenching the monofilament;
reheating the monofilament;
stretching the reheated monofilament to align the fibers relative to each other and to form the monofilament into an artificial turf fiber; and
incorporating the artificial turf fiber into an artificial turf backing, wherein creating the polymer mixture comprises mixing the stabilizing polymer surrounded by the compatibilizer with the bulk polymer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer mixture comprises any one of the following: less than or equal to 8% stabilizing polymer by weight, less than or equal to 10% stabilizing polymer by weight, less than or equal to 12% stabilizing polymer by weight, or less than or equal to 15% stabilizing polymer by weight.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer mixture comprises any one of the following: less than or equal to 20% flame retardant polymer combination by weight, less than or equal to 22% flame retardant polymer combination by weight, less than or equal to 25% flame retardant polymer combination by weight, less than or equal to 27% flame retardant polymer combination by weight, or less than or equal to 29% flame retardant polymer combination by weight.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of triazine to melamine by weight in the flame retardant polymer combination is any one of the following: 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, or 2.2.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein stretching the reheated monofilament deforms the polymer beads into threadlike regions having a diameter of less than 20 micrometer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the creating of the bulk polymer comprises:
forming a first mixture by mixing the first polymer with the compatibilizer;
heating the first mixture;
extruding the first mixture;
granulating the extruded first mixture;
mixing the granulated first mixture with the second polymer; and
heating the granulated first mixture with the second polymer to form the polymer mixture.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bulk polymer comprises any one of the following: 1 to 30 percent by weight the first polymer, 1 to 20 percent by weight the first polymer, or 5 to 10 percent by weight the first polymer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer is any one of the following: a polar polymer, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer, a polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) polymer, a polyolefin polymer, a thermoplastic polyolefin polymer, a polyethylene polymer, a polypropylene polymer, a polyamide polymer, a polyethylene polymer blend, or mixtures thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second polymer is any one of the following: a non-polar polymer, polyethylene, polypropylene, or a mixture thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compatibilizer is any one of the following: a maleic acid grafted on polyethylene or polyamide; a maleic anhydride grafted on free radical initiated graft copolymer of polyethylene, SEES, EVA, EPD, or polypropylene with an unsaturated acid or its anhydride such as maleic acid, glycidyl methacrylate, ricinoloxazoline maleinate; a graft copolymer of SEBS with glycidyl methacrylate, a graft copolymer of EVA with mercaptoacetic acid and maleic anhydride; a graft copolymer of EPDM with maleic anhydride; a graft copolymer of polypropylene with maleic anhydride; a polyolefin-graft-polyamidepolyethylene or polyamide; or a polyacrylic acid type compatibilizer.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bulk polymer comprises 80 to 90 percent by weight the second polymer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer mixture further comprises any one of the following: a wax, a dulling agent, a UV stabilizer, a flame retardant, an anti-oxidant, a pigment, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aramid is para-aramid.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the para-aramid has a fiber length less than any one of the following: 135 μm, 125 μm, or 115 μm.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the para-aramid has an average fiber length of any one of the following: between 65 μm and 35 μm, or 55 μm.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the para-aramid has a density between any one of the following: 1.44 g/cm 3 and 1.45 g/cm 3 , or 1.43 g/cm3 and 1.46 g/cm3.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the para-aramid has a decomposition temperature of any one of the following: above 720 degrees, above 725 degrees, or 723 degrees Kelvin.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the polymer mixture comprises:
forming an initial mixture by mixing the stabilizing polymer with the compatibilizer;
heating the initial mixture;
extruding the initial mixture;
granulating the extruded initial mixture;
mixing the granulated initial mixture with the bulk polymer and the flame-retardant polymer combination; and
heating the granulated initial mixture with the bulk polymer and the flame-retardant polymer combination to form the polymer mixture.

19. A method of manufacturing artificial turf, the method comprising:
creating a polymer mixture, wherein the polymer mixture comprises a stabilizing polymer, a bulk polymer comprising a first polymer, a second polymer and a compatibilizer, and a flame retardant polymer combination, wherein the stabilizing polymer and the bulk polymer are immiscible, wherein the stabilizing polymer comprises fibers surrounded by the compatibilizer within the bulk polymer, wherein the stabilizing polymer is aramid, wherein the flame retardant polymer combination is a mixture of triazine and melamine, wherein the first polymer, the second polymer and the stabilizing polymer are immiscible, and wherein the first polymer forms polymer beads surrounded by the compatibilizer within the second polymer;
extruding the polymer mixture into a monofilament;
quenching the monofilament;
reheating the monofilament;
stretching the reheated monofilament to align the fibers relative to each other and to form the monofilament into an artificial turf fiber; and
incorporating the artificial turf fiber into an artificial turf backing, wherein creating the polymer mixture comprises:
forming a master batch including a first granulate of the bulk polymer, the stabilizing polymer and the compatibilizer;
extruding a mixture of the first polymer and the compatibilizer for forming strands; and
crushing the strands for forming a second granulate,
wherein the first granulate and the second granulate form the polymer mixture.

Assignees

• Polytex Sportbelage Produktions Gmbh

Inventors

• Schmitz Dirk
• Sander Dirk
• Wagener Oliver
• Sick Stephan

Classifications

• E01C13/08 Primary

  Surfaces simulating grass {; Grass-grown sports grounds (grass-like surfaces for skiing E01C13/12)} · CPC title

• D01F8/14

  with at least one polyester as constituent · CPC title

• D01F6/92

  of polyesters · CPC title

• D01F8/06

  with at least one polyolefin as constituent · CPC title

• D01F1/07 Primary

  for making fire- or flame-proof filaments · CPC title