Artificial grass composed of fibres comprising of a core and a cladding, as well as an artificial lawn made up thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to artificial grass composed of fibres comprising a core and a cladding, which core and which cladding are made of different materials, wherein the material for the cladding has a hydrophilicity which is different from the hydrophilicity of the material used for the core.

1 . Artificial grass composed of fibers comprising a core of a synthetic material and a cladding, which core and which cladding are made of different materials, wherein the material for the cladding has a hydrophilicity which is different from the hydrophilicity of the material used for the core. 
   
   
       2 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1 , wherein the material for the cladding has a hydrophilicity which is higher than the hydrophilicity of the material used for the core. 
   
   
       3 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the material for the cladding is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, cellulose, chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol and derivatives thereof, or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The artificial grass according to  claim 3 , wherein the cellulose comprises one or more derivatives of cellulose selected from the group consisting of viscose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose (di)acetate and cellulose (tri)acetate. 
   
   
       5 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the material for the core is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polypropylene, ethyl vinyl acetate, saturated styrene thermoplastic elastomer, polyamides, polyethylene compounds and copolymers of ethylene and acrylate, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The artificial grass according to  claim 5 , wherein the polyethylene compounds are selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene and anhydride modified polyolefins. 
   
   
       7 . The artificial grass according to  claim 5 , wherein the polyesters comprise polyethylene terephthalate and/or polytrimethylene terephthalate. 
   
   
       8 . The artificial grass according to  claim 5 , wherein the polyamides comprise co-polyamide (6/66) and/or polyamide-6. 
   
   
       9 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein an agent which promotes the adhesion between the core material and the cladding material is present between the core material and the cladding material. 
   
   
       10 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the material for the core is comprises polyamide and the material for the cladding comprises cellulose diacetate or cellulose triacetate. 
   
   
       11 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the material for the core comprises low density polyethylene and the material for the cladding is comprises cellulose diacetate or cellulose triacetate. 
   
   
       12 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the material for the core comprises a combination of polypropylene and saturated styrene thermoplastic elastomer and the material for the cladding comprises cellulose diacetate or cellulose triacetate. 
   
   
       13 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the core comprises ethyl vinyl acetate and also comprises copolymers of ethylene and acrylate, polypropylene and/or polyethylene, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       14 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the material for the core has an elasticity modulus measured according to ASTM D638 of maximally 500 MPa. 
   
   
       15 . The artificial grass according to  claim 14 , wherein the material for the core has an elasticity modulus measured according to ASTM D638 of maximally 300 MPa. 
   
   
       16 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the material for the cladding has an elasticity modulus measured according to ASTM D638 of minimally 500 MPa. 
   
   
       17 . The artificial grass according to  claim 16 , the material for the cladding has an elasticity modulus measured according to ASTM D638 of minimally 750 MPa. 
   
   
       18 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the thickness of the cladding has a volume of 1-40 vol. %, based on the entire fiber. 
   
   
       19 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the resilience of the fiber ranges from 1-2 cN, measured as the force required for pushing over the fiber. 
   
   
       20 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the resilience (F 300 ) of the fiber is at least 50%, expressed as a percentage of the first measurement for determining the pushover force after 300 measurements. 
   
   
       21 . The artificial grass according to  claim 9 , wherein the agent which promotes the adhesion is a copolymer of ethylene and methylacrylate. 
   
   
       22 . The artificial grass according to  claim 1  wherein the cladding comprises a number of layers, at least one of which layers comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, cellulose, chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol and derivatives thereof, or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       23 . The artificial grass according  claim 22 , wherein an outermost cladding layer comprises one or more derivatives of cellulose selected from the group consisting of viscose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose (di)acetate and cellulose (tri)acetate. 
   
   
       24 . A method for manufacturing an artificial grass fiber comprising a core of a synthetic material and a cladding, which core and which cladding are made of different materials, wherein the material for the core is extruded so as to obtain an extruded core material, and the material for the cladding is coated onto an extruded core material. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the material for the cladding is coated onto the core by passing the extruded core material through a bath of the cladding material to be coated thereon. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the material for the cladding is coated onto the core by extruding the material for the core and the material for the cladding simultaneously. 
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein the extruded core material is first provided with an adhesion promoting agent, whereupon the material for the cladding is coated onto the thus pre-treated core material.