Carbon sequestration sand-based material for synthetic turf fields

Abstract

A synthetic turf system includes a backing, turf fibers extended upward from the backing, and one or more infill layers positioned above the backing, below a top portion of the turf fibers. The one or more infill layers includes carbon sequestration sand, or the synthetic turf system further comprises a layer of carbon sequestration sand disposed above or below the one or more infill layers.

1 . A synthetic turf system comprising:
 a backing;   turf fibers extended upward from the backing;   one or more infill layers positioned above the backing, below a top portion of the turf fibers;   wherein the one or more infill layers includes carbon sequestration sand, or the synthetic turf system further comprises a layer of carbon sequestration sand disposed above or below the one or more infill layers.   
     
     
         2 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon sequestration sand includes wollastonite, basalt, peridotite, dunite, limestone, or dolostone. 
     
     
         3 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon sequestration sand is accessible to rainwater from the top portion of the turf fibers, where the rainwater and the carbon sequestration sand chemically react with each other, forming a carbonate or a bicarbonate. 
     
     
         4 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon sequestration sand has a particle size of about #4 mesh to about #270 mesh, and is deposited in a layer having a thickness of about 1/16 to about ¼ inches above or below each of the one or more infill layers. 
     
     
         5 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 1 , wherein 90 percent of the carbon sequestration sand is small enough to pass through a #40 mesh screen, but too large to pass through an #80 mesh screen. 
     
     
         6 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more infill layers include the carbon sequestration sand,
 the one or more infill layers are disposed on top of the backing, between the turf fibers, and   the top portion of the turf fibers extends above the one or more infill layers.   
     
     
         7 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 1 , wherein the backing is water permeable with a porosity that filters rainwater from the carbon sequestration sand and the one or more infill layers by gravity as the rainwater travels from the one or more infill layers to below the backing. 
     
     
         8 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first base stone layer disposed below the backing, and a second base stone layer disposed below the first base stone layer, wherein the first base stone layer or the second base stone layer includes silicate rock, ultramafic rock, or reactive rock that is accessible to rainwater by gravity from the top portion of the turf fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 8 , wherein the carbon sequestration sand is positioned on, above, or in the first base stone layer or the second base stone layer. 
     
     
         10 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 8 , wherein the carbon sequestration sand is positioned below the second base stone layer, tilled into a subgrade below the second base stone layer, or positioned in a subdrain below the second base stone layer. 
     
     
         11 . The synthetic turf system of  claim 8 , wherein the first base stone layer or the second base stone layer is water permeable, and the carbon sequestration sand is blended into the first base stone layer or the second base stone layer. 
     
     
         12 . Infill for a synthetic turf system, the infill comprising:
 carbon sequestration sand including silicate rock, ultramafic rock, or reactive rock that forms a carbonate or bicarbonate with rainwater, and has a particle size of about #4 mesh to about #270 mesh; and   organic particles, rubber particles, elastomer particles, coated particles, or thermoplastic particles blended or layered with the carbon sequestration sand.   
     
     
         13 . The carbon sequestration sand of  claim 12 , wherein 90 percent of the carbon sequestration sand is small enough to pass through a #40 mesh screen. 
     
     
         14 . The carbon sequestration sand of  claim 13 , wherein 90 percent of the carbon sequestration sand is too large to pass through an #80 mesh screen. 
     
     
         15 . The carbon sequestration sand of  claim 12 , wherein the silicate rock, ultramafic rock, or reactive rock is at least one of wollastonite, basalt, peridotite, dunite, limestone, and dolostone. 
     
     
         16 . The carbon sequestration sand of  claim 12 , wherein the silicate rock, ultramafic rock, or reactive rock forms weathered particles having a sphericity of about 0.65 to about 0.85. 
     
     
         17 . A method of preparing a synthetic turf system, the method comprising:
 dispersing carbon sequestration sand over a top portion of turf fibers, wherein the carbon sequestration sand includes silicate rock, ultramafic rock, or reactive rock that forms a carbonate or bicarbonate with rainwater traveling through one or more infill layers.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 grooming the carbon sequestration sand into the one or more infill layers of the synthetic turf system, between the turf fibers, at a backing of the synthetic turf system.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 preblending the silicate rock, ultramafic rock, or reactive rock with organic particles, rubber particles, elastomer particles, coated particles, or thermoplastic particles prior to dispersing the carbon sequestration sand over the top portion of the turf fibers.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 measuring an aspect of the synthetic turf system, including a thickness of an infill layer, an acidity of rainwater at the infill layer, or a quantity of silicate rock, ultramafic rock, or reactive rock present in the infill layer; and   dispersing a predetermined quantity of the carbon sequestration sand over the top portion of the turf fibers as a top dressing based on the measured aspect.