Using a polyol mixture comprising PBD for creating a PU-based artificial turf
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Artificial turf surfaces face challenges with mechanical wear, UV resistance, thermal cycling, chemical interactions, and environmental conditions, leading to reduced durability and surface quality over time, particularly due to weak adhesion between hydrophobic fibers and hydrophilic polyurethane backings, and susceptibility to water-induced swelling and delamination.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing artificial turf using a polyurethane-based backing created by reacting polyether or polyester polyols with isocyanates, incorporating polybutadien diol to increase hydrophobicity and stability, and adding a wetting agent to enhance fiber fixation and resistance to water, resulting in a hydrolytically stable and strongly adhering backing that prevents delamination and improves mechanical fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If polyurethane is used as backing material for artificial turf, then the backing provides good mechanical properties and durability, but the adhesion between hydrophobic fibers and hydrophilic polyurethane is weak causing fiber pull-out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polyurethane by incorporating polybutadien diol (PBD) at specific weight percentages (0.1-10%, preferably 0.5-5%) into the polyol mixture. This parameter change modifies the polyurethane's surface properties to increase hydrophobicity, thereby improving adhesion to hydrophobic polyolefin fibers without compromising the mechanical strength and durability of the backing material.
2Stability of the object's composition
If polyurethane backing is used for artificial turf, then the backing provides structural stability, but it is susceptible to water-induced swelling and delamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite polyurethane material by combining conventional polyols with polybutadien diol (PBD). This composite formulation leverages the hydrophobic characteristics of PBD to confer water resistance onto the otherwise hydrophilic polyurethane matrix, thereby preventing water-induced swelling and delamination while preserving the structural stability and mechanical properties of the backing.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard polyurethane formulation is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the resistance to mechanical wear and environmental conditions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the polyol composition parameters by incorporating polybutadien diol at optimized weight percentages, which enhances the polyurethane's resistance to mechanical wear, UV radiation, thermal cycling, and chemical interactions. This parameter change improves reliability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as the modified polyol can be directly used in conventional polyurethane synthesis processes without requiring complex additional steps.
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 solution provides a durable and water-resistant artificial turf surface with enhanced mechanical fixation of hydrophobic fibers, reducing the risk of fiber pull-out and delamination, while maintaining surface quality and appearance over extended use periods.
Implementation Method 1
By adding polybutadien diol (PBD) in the reaction mixture used for creating the PU in a polyaddition reaction, the PU is made more hydrophobic and the attachment of the PU to the fiber via Vander-Waals forces is increased.
Implementation Method 2
Van-der-Waals forces between the fibers and the PU backing are weak and fibers may easily be pulled out of a PU backing when a tuft-withdrawal force is applied. By adding polybutadien diol (PBD) in the reaction mixture used for creating the PU in a polyaddition reaction, the PU is made more hydrophobic and the attachment of the PU to the fiber via Vander-Waals forces is increased.
Implementation Method 3
adding a wetting agent to enhance fiber fixation and resistance to water
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an artificial turf includes creating fluid polyurethane mass. The creation including reacting first and second polyols with an isocyanate. The first polyol is a polyether polyol and/or a polyester polyol having at least 2 hydroxyl groups per molecule, the second polyol being polybutadien diol. The isocyanate including isocyanate monomers, isocyanate polymers or isocyanate prepolymers or a mixture thereof, the isocyanate monomers, isocyanate polymers and the isocyanate prepolymers having two or more isocyanate groups per molecule. The method further includes incorporating an artificial turf fiber into a carrier such that a first portion of the fiber protrudes to the front side of the carrier and that a second portion of the fiber is located at the back side of the carrier, adding the fluid polyurethane mass on the back side of the carrier, and hardening the fluid polyurethane mass.