Tribological investigation into achieving skin-friendly artificial turf surfaces

Abstract

A main concern with artificial turfs is the increased incidences of skin abrasions compared to playing on natural grass. The proliferation of these surfaces draws attention to the skinfriendliness and related test methods of the products. This study focuses on the yarn component and explores the significance of tribopairs in identifying the skin-friendly property of hydrophilically-modified polypropylene. The frictional behaviour of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate)-grafted substrates were studied under dry and hydrated conditions with standard steel tribotips, commonly used in frictional assessments. The measurements were repeated with tribotips made from silicone skin, used in large-scale artificial turf testing. Results showed that when hydrated, hydrophilic polymer brushes were successful in reducing silicone skin-sample friction by 75.8%. Interestingly, when extended trials were conducted, a step-jump in the frictional values of highly-modified samples was observed, attributed to the diminishing hydrated layer with prolonged testing. In contrast, the standard steel tribotips were unable to discern the effects of surface grafting or hydration, measuring consistently low frictional values across all samples. This study highlights the importance of tribotip selection and introduces a bench-top test method that can potentially be used for the quantification of skin-friendliness of artificial turf yarns during product development stages.

Microstructural foundations of the strength and resilience of LLDPE artificial turf yarn

“…The current generation of ubiquitously used artificial turf for sports applications, is the so‐called third‐generation pitch . It consists of a backing onto which polymer yarns are tufted.…”

Textured Polymer Surfaces Mimicking the Tactile Friction Between Wood and Skin

“…The results showed that, although two materials (polycarbonate and thermoplastic polyurethane) did not differ significantly in friction, they did in the perceived grip. In order to develop skin-friendly artificial turf yarns, Tay et al 12 studied the friction between silicone skin and poly (sulfobetaine methacrylate)-grafted polypropylene, and found that hydrated hydrophilic polymer brushes can reduce the friction by 75.8%.…”

Effect of extrinsic factors and structural components on sport functionality of artificial turf surfaces

“…12 This influences the player’s perception of the artificial turf pitch 13 and the player–surface interaction. 14 Potthast 15 found that surface hardness affected technique during both approach and kicking movements, and it was also suggested that ball rebound and overall gameplay could be affected too. A higher or lower surface hardness also affects the biomechanical technique of running, 16,17 which is relevant to player safety.…”