Artificial Turf Infill Composition for Cooler, Safer Playing Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current artificial turf systems using crumb rubber infill materials pose health risks, increase injury risks, and become extremely hot in warm weather, necessitating a safer and more comfortable alternative that maintains low wear and use in inclement weather.
Innovation Solution
An artificial turf field system featuring synthetic turf strands with an infill material composed of porous particles, such as ceramic or cork, coated with polymers, which provides improved safety, reduced heat retention, and uniform density to prevent particle migration, along with a resilient sub-layer for energy absorption and drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If crumb rubber infill material is used in artificial turf systems, then the turf provides durability and weather resistance, but it poses health risks, increases injury risks, and becomes extremely hot in warm weather
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes crumb rubber infill material from the artificial turf system entirely, replacing it with a combination of porous ceramic particles and bound rubber granules. This extraction eliminates the harmful effects of crumb rubber (health risks, injury risks, heat retention) while maintaining the structural integrity and durability of the turf system through the alternative infill composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite infill material consisting of porous ceramic particles bound with rubber granules held together by a binding agent. This composite structure combines the heat-reflective and porous properties of ceramic particles with the resilient and shock-absorbing characteristics of rubber, creating a material that maintains durability and weather resistance while reducing harmful effects like heat retention and injury risk.
2Shape
If infill material is brushed into synthetic strands to make them vertical, then the turf looks similar to natural grass, but the infill material migrates and creates uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite infill material where porous ceramic particles are bound together with rubber granules using a binding agent. This composite structure creates a more stable infill composition that resists migration and maintains uniform distribution throughout the turf, preventing the uneven surfaces that occur with loose infill materials while still allowing synthetic strands to stand vertically for a natural grass appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of porous ceramic particles provides a lightweight, stable infill structure that maintains its position better than dense materials. The porous structure allows for better integration with the synthetic strands and rubber granules, creating a stable composite that prevents migration while maintaining the vertical appearance of the turf strands.
3Temperature
If porous particles are used as infill material for temperature regulation, then heat retention is reduced, but the particles may not provide sufficient cushioning for player safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite infill material combining porous ceramic particles with rubber granules bound together by a binding agent. The porous ceramic particles provide temperature regulation by reflecting heat and allowing airflow, while the rubber granules contribute cushioning and shock-absorbing properties. This composite structure achieves both temperature reduction and adequate cushioning for player safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The infill material exhibits local quality differentiation where porous ceramic particles are distributed throughout to provide heat reflection and temperature regulation, while rubber granules are interspersed to provide localized cushioning and shock absorption. This spatial distribution of different material properties within the composite infill allows simultaneous achievement of temperature control and safety cushioning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system offers a safer playing surface by reducing cancer risks, lowering injury rates, maintaining low wear, and providing effective temperature regulation through water retention and evaporation, while maintaining the benefits of artificial turf in terms of durability and weather resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of porous particles may hold water in a ratio of particle weight to water weight of 1:0.5 to 1:1.5
Implementation Method 2
providing effective temperature regulation through water retention and evaporation
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial turf field system is provided. The system may include a plurality of synthetic turf strands attached to a backing layer and an infill material positioned between the synthetic turf stands. The infill material may include a plurality of porous particles. A sub-layer may be included beneath the backing layer, and may be formed of a resilient material. A support layer may be included beneath the sub-layer, and may include materials configured for drainage. The porous particles of the infill material may include porous ceramic particles and the sub-layer may include rubber. The porous particles may be at least partially coated, for example, by a polymer coating. The infill material may be free of sand and/or crumb rubber.