Artifical turf infill with natural rubber granules
Provided herein is a natural rubber based infill for artificial turf having biodegradable granules. The granules have a natural rubber that has been physically but not chemically modified by the addition of a quantity of filler material, and the granules have a mean size of between 0.2 and 5 mm.
1 . A natural rubber based infill for artificial turf, comprising bio-degradable granules, wherein the granules comprise natural rubber that has been physically but not chemically modified by the addition of a quantity of filler material and an anti-tack agent, wherein the filler material comprises organic natural material, the anti-tack agent consists of a natural absorbent powder, and all components of the granule are naturally occurring materials such that the granule can be broken down naturally and wherein the granules have a mean size of between 0.2 mm and 5 mm.
2 . The infill according to claim 1 wherein the filler material comprises inorganic natural materials.
3 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the granules further comprise a binding agent.
4 . The infill according to claim 3 , wherein the binding agent comprises plant starch.
5 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the granules comprise from 40 to 80 wt % of filler and from 10 to 40 wt % rubber.
6 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the granules comprise inclusions of organic natural filler material, having a size of between 10% and 90% of the granule.
7 . The infill according to claim 6 , wherein each granule comprises a layer of natural rubber coated onto one or more surfaces of an inclusion.
8 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the anti-tack agent is mixed and dispersed in the granule.
9 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the granules are loose and free flowing at temperatures between −10° C. and 80° C.
10 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the anti-tack agent is sand, chalk, quartz, brick dust, charcoal, or corn starch.
11 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the infill comprises 20% to 60% of filler, 20% to 40% natural rubber, and 10% to 30% anti-tack agent.
12 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the organic natural material is coir fibre, wood chip, cork, corn, coir pith, hemp, starch or plant waste.
13 . The infill according to claim 1 , wherein the granule has a Shore A hardness of between 40 and 90.
14 . An artificial turf system comprising a quantity of the infill according to claim 1 .
15 . The artificial turf system according to claim 14 , wherein the infill further comprises a quantity of particulates of a natural material that does not comprise natural rubber.
16 . A method of manufacturing the infill granule for artificial turf according to claim 1 , comprising:
cold forming of a precursor from a composition comprising natural rubber and a filler material, wherein the filler material comprises organic natural material;
dividing the precursor into granules; and
providing the granules with an anti-tack agent,
wherein the method is carried out without chemical modification of the natural rubber by cross-linking or otherwise.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising treating the granule with an anti-ageing step.
18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the cold forming of the precursor comprises cold extrusion into sheets or filaments or coating a core.
19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the cold forming comprises extrusion through a pelletizing machine to form cylindrical pellets.