Sports field with shock pad comprising lignin-based binder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584019-B2
Application number	US-202017995398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	Apr 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A sports field can comprise: (i) a lower base layer; (ii) an upper grass and/or artificial grass layer, and (iii) a shock pad layer, positioned between the base layer and the grass or artificial grass layer. The shock pad layer can comprise at least one shock pad comprising a coherent plate having upper and lower major surfaces, and the coherent plate can comprise at least one coherent layer comprising man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition. The aqueous binder composition prior to curing can comprise a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; and a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A sports field comprising:
a lower base layer; an upper grass and/or artificial grass layer; a shock pad layer, positioned between the base layer and the grass and/or artificial grass layer; wherein the shock pad layer comprises at least one shock pad comprising a coherent plate having upper and lower major surfaces, wherein the coherent plate comprises at least one coherent layer comprising man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition; wherein the aqueous binder composition prior to curing comprises: a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

2 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein component (i) is in form of one or more ammonia-oxidized lignins (AOLs).

3 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the component (ii) comprises one or more cross-linkers selected from β-hydroxyalkylamide-cross-linkers and/or oxazoline-cross-linkers.

4 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the component (ii) comprises:
one or more cross-linkers selected from a group consisting of polyethylene imine, polyvinyl amine, fatty amines; and/or one more cross-linkers in form of fatty amides; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from a group consisting of dimethoxyethanal, glycolaldehyde, glyoxalic acid; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from polyester polyols astone; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from a group consisting of starch, modified starch, CMC; and/or one or more cross-linkers in form of aliphatic multifunctional carbodiimides; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from melamine based cross-linkers.

5 . The sports field according to claim 1 , comprising component (ii) in an amount of 1 to 40 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of component (i).

6 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein component (iii) comprises one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of polyethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol ethers, polyethers, hydrogenated sugars, phthalates and/or acids.

7 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein component (iii) comprises:
one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of fatty alcohols, monohydroxy alcohols; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from alkoxylates; and/or one or more plasticizers in form of propylene glycols; and/or one or more plasticizers in form of glycol esters; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of adipates, acetates, benzoates, cyclobenzoates, citrates, stearates, sorbates, sebacates, azelates, butyrates, valerates; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from phenol derivatives; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of silanols, siloxanes; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of sulfates, sulfonates, phosphates; and/or one or more plasticizers in form of hydroxy acids; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of monomeric amides, fatty acid amides; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from quaternary ammonium compounds; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from vegetable oils; and or one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of hydrogenated oils, acetylated oils; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from acid methyl esters; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of alkyl polyglucosides, gluconamides, aminoglucoseamides, sucrose esters, sorbitan esters; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from a group consisting of polyethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol ethers.

8 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the component (iii) is present in an amount of 0.5 to 50 s wt.-%, based on the dry weight of component (i).

9 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous binder composition comprises a further component (iv) in form of one or more coupling agents, such as organofunctional silanes.

10 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous binder composition comprises a component (v) in form of one or more components selected from a group consisting of ammonia, amines or any salts thereof.

11 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous binder composition comprises a further component (iv) in form of urea.

12 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the binder composition consists essentially of:
the component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; the component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; the component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers; a component (iv) in form of one or more coupling agents; optionally a component in form of one or more compounds selected from a group consisting of ammonia, amines or any salts thereof; optionally a component in form of urea; optionally a component in form of a more reactive or non-reactive silicones; optionally a hydrocarbon oil; optionally one or more surface active agents; water.

13 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the shock pad further comprises: an upper membrane layer bonded to the upper major surface of the coherent plate; and/or a lower membrane layer bonded to the lower major surface of the coherent plate.

14 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coherent layer has a thickness in a range of 12 mm to 60 mm.

15 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coherent layer has a density in a range of 175 kg/m 3 to 300 kg/m 3 .

16 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coherent layer has a hydraulic conductivity of 5 m/day to 200 m/day and/or a contact angle with water of less than 90°.

17 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coherent layer comprises MMVF having a geometric fibre diameter of 1.5 to 10 microns.

18 . The sports field according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coherent layer does not comprise any wetting agent.

19 . The sports field according to claim 1 , further comprising (iv) an infill layer between the shock pad layer and the grass and/or artificial grass layer or in the grass and/or artificial grass layer, wherein the infill layer comprises sand or non-plastic material.

20 . A method of producing a sports field, comprising the steps of:
providing a lower base layer; providing a shock pad layer above the base layer; providing an upper grass and/or artificial grass layer above the shock pad layer; wherein the shock pad layer comprises at least one shock pad comprising a coherent plate having upper and lower major surfaces, wherein the coherent plate comprises at least one coherent layer comprising man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition; wherein the aqueous binder composition prior to curing comprises: a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , further comprising providing an infill layer between the shock pad layer and the upper grass or artificial grass layer, wherein the infill layer comprises sand or non-plastic material.

Assignees

• Rockwool As

Inventors

• De Vries Linda
• Johansson Dorte Bartnik
• Nikolic Miroslav

Classifications

• E01C13/08 Primary

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

• C08K5/0016

  Plasticisers · CPC title

• C08J2397/00

  Characterised by the use of lignin-containing materials · CPC title

• C08J5/043

  with glass fibres · CPC title

• C03C25/32

  obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds · CPC title