Artificial sports grass
The basic materials for the manufacturing are polypropylene (PP), polyethene (PE) and polyamide (PA).
One of the most important parameters for the manufactured yarn is its density. The parameter to measure yarn density is ”Dtex“ which specifies the number of grams per 10000 meters. A higher ”Dtex“ value means a more dense and robust fibre.
Infill materials provide stability and performance of the artificial turf system. The infill
materials are:
- quartz sand
- rubber granules
A specific type of sand is needed to infill the grass and must fulfill several requirements. The most important property of the sand grains is that they must be round in shape to avoid abrasion and splitting of the turf fibres. Angular sand will irreparably damage the turf and also cause severe skin abrasions to those sliding or falling on the surface. Another important requirement is that sand cannot contain too much chalk. This could cause excessive chalking of the surface, which results in compaction of the artificial turf and a change of the grass color.
A new artificial playing surface can be used immediately after the infill installation is complete. Ball bounce and rebound will improve over time depending on the intensity of use. During the initial phase of post-installation, the more often and intensive the turf us, the quicker the ideal ball performance and surface playability is reached. Depending on intensity of use, the artificial turf surface should be regularly brushed and filled with infill when and where required to maintain optimal performance. This is particularly important during the first months of use. The volume of infill depends on user requirements with regard to degree of traction and sliding desired.
Athletes should always use sports footwear on the artificial turf surface. The footwear must be clean, free of mud, stones and other dirt which could become mixed with the silica sand infill, compromising the quality of the surface.
Further factors, which can affect the lifetime of the grass:
1. Fibre type (type of polymer, width)
2. Density of artificial turf
3. Production quality of artificial turf
4. Type of infill sand or quality of granulate
5. Quality of installation
7. Maintenance of the artificial turf
