Artificial turf comprising an agglomerate infill

Abstract

An artificial turf surface includes an artificial turf carpet with a pile, wherein the artificial turf carpet includes a backing. The artificial turf carpet further includes artificial grass fibers. The artificial grass fibers are tufted into the backing. The artificial grass fibers form the pile. The artificial grass fibers are secured to the backing. The artificial turf surface further includes an artificial turf infill distributed within the pile, wherein the artificial turf infill includes irregularly shaped grains, wherein the grains include an agglomerate including at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic. At least a portion of the grains have fibrous extensions.

1 . An artificial turf surface comprising:
 an artificial turf carpet with a pile, wherein the artificial turf carpet comprises a backing; wherein the artificial turf carpet further comprises artificial grass fibers, wherein the artificial grass fibers are tufted into the backing, wherein the artificial grass fibers form the pile, wherein the artificial grass fibers are secured to the backing; and   artificial turf infill distributed within the pile, wherein the artificial turf infill comprises irregularly shaped grains, wherein the irregularly shaped grains comprise an agglomerate, wherein the agglomerate comprises at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic, wherein at least a portion of the grains have fibrous extensions.   
     
     
         2 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the irregularly shaped grains have a curved profile. 
     
     
         3 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherien at least 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% of the grains have the fibrous extensions. 
     
     
         4 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein in at least 50%, 70%, or 90% of the portion of the grains the fibrous extensions comprise at least 30% of the weight of the grains. 
     
     
         5 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one types of non-elastomeric thermoplastic comprise recycled artificial turf fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the irregularly shaped grains have a longitudinally stretched out and curved volume expansion with ratios of length to diameter/cross-section within 1:2 to 1:50. 
     
     
         7 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the irregularly shaped grains have a longitudinally stretched out and curved volume expansion with ratios of length to diameter/cross-section within any one of the following: 1:4 to 1:50, 1:8 to 1:50, 1:16 to 1:50, and 1:32 to 1:50. 
     
     
         8 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the irregularly shaped grains have a sieve size between 0.2 mm and 12 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein irregularly shaped grains have a thickness between 0.05 mm and 2 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic comprise any one of the following: a least one thermoplastic polymer, a polyolefm, waste plastic, fibrous waste plastic, pre-consumer yarn, post-consumer yarn recovered synthetic sports fields, artificial turf fiber, recovered waste plastic, poly ethylene, polypropylene, a polyethylene and polypropylene mixture, LLDPE, HDPE, LDPE, MDPE, PP, PE, a polyolefin, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic comprise any one of the following: recycled packaging material, poly ethylene food packaging, polyethylene food packaging, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous extensions of the irregularly shaped grains interlock with any one of the following: the artificial grass fibers, the fibrous extensions of other irregularly shaped grains, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the fibrous extensions are branched and/or hook shaped. 
     
     
         14 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the artificial turf surface further comprises a sand layer between the backing and the artificial turf infill. 
     
     
         15 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the artificial turf surface further comprises a top infill layer, wherein the irregularly shaped grains are between the backing and the top infill layer. 
     
     
         16 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 15 , wherein the top infill layer comprises regularly shaped granules. 
     
     
         17 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 16 , wherein the regularly shaped granules comprise any one of the following: a least one thermoplastic polymer, a polyolefin, waste plastic, fibrous waste plastic, pre-consumer yarn, post-consumer yarn recovered synthetic sports fields, artificial turf fiber, recovered waste plastic, recycled packaging material, polyethylene food packaging, poly ethylene, polypropylene, a polyethylene and polypropylene mixture, LLDPE, HDPE, LDPE, MDPE, PP, PE, and a polyolefin, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 16 , wherein the regularly shaped granules comprise any one of the following: an elastomeric compound, rubber, crumb rubber, EPDM, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 16 , wherein the regularly shaped granules comprises at least 50%, 70%, 90%, or 95% of the top infill layer by weight. 
     
     
         20 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 15 , wherein the top infill comprises elongated granules. 
     
     
         21 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 20 , wherein the top infill comprises at least 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 95% of the elongated granules by weight. 
     
     
         22 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 20 , wherein the wherein the elongated granules are formed from any one of the following: an elastomeric compound, shavings from at least one block of an elastomeric compound, rubber, crumb rubber, EPDM, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the artificial turf surface further comprises a sand layer between the backing and the artificial turf infill, wherein the artificial turf surface further comprises a top infill layer, wherein the irregularly shaped grains are between the backing and the top infill layer, wherein the top infill comprises irregularly shaped granulate, wherein the irregularly shaped granulate comprises shavings from at least one block of an elastomeric compound. 
     
     
         24 . The artificial turf surface of  claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate at least comprises 80%, 90%, 95%, or 99% by weight the at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic. 
     
     
         25 . A method of manufacturing an artificial turf system, wherein the method comprises:
 providing an artificial turf carpet with a pile, wherein the artificial turf carpet comprises a backing; wherein the artificial turf carpet further comprises artificial grass fibers, wherein the artificial grass fibers are tufted into the backing, wherein the artificial grass fibers form the pile surface, wherein the artificial grass fibers are secured to the backing; and   forming an agglomerate comprising at least one type of non-elastomeric plastic to form irregularly shaped grains to provide an infill for the artificial turf carpet.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the irregularly shaped grains have a curved profile. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherien at least 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% of the grains have the fibrous extensions. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein in at least 50%, 70%, or 90% of the portion of the grains the fibrous extensions comprise at least 30% of the weight of the grains. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the agglomeration of the at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic into the agglomerate and the forming of the irregularly shaped grains from the agglomerate is performed using an agglomerator. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the agglomerator is a friction agglomerator. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein forming of the irregularly shaped grains is performed using an extruder. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the extruder comprises any one of the following: an underwater pelletizing system, a watering pelletizing system, a strand pelletizing system, and hot-cut pelletizing system. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the extruder comprises an extrusion die plate, wherein any one of the following:
 the extrusion die plate has at least one orifice for extruding the agglomerate, wherein the at least one orifice has a first portion and an opposing portion, wherein the first portion is rough, wherein the opposing portion is smooth to form irregularly shaped grains that have a curved profile;   the extruder die plate comprises multiple orifices, and the multiple orifices have at least two distinct sizes and/or the orifices are irregularly shaped; and   combinations thereof.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the extruder comprise a cutting system for cutting the irregularly shaped grains, wherein the cutting system is configured for producing irregularly shaped grains with varying lengths. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises mixing at least one additive into the agglomerate before forming the irregularly shaped grains. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one additive comprises any one of the following: a dye, a colorant, a UV-stabilizer, a flame retardant, a binding agent, a blowing agent, an anti-seize agent, a lubricant, a filler, a compatibilizer, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises recycling used artificial turf to provide the at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic. 
     
     
         38 . A method of manufacturing an artificial turf surface, wherein the method comprises the method of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises:
 installing the artificial turf carpet; and   distributing the irregularly shaped grains within the pile to form an artificial turf surface.   
     
     
         39 . The use of an agglomerate as infill for artificial turf, wherein the agglomerate comprises irregularly shaped grains formed from at least one type of non-elastomeric thermoplastic, and wherein at least a portion of the grains have fibrous extensions. 
     
     
         40 . The use of an agglomerate as infill for artificial turf of  claim 38 , wherein at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the irregularly shaped grains have a curved profile.