Artificial turf with texturized and non-texturized fibers

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing an artificial turf includes manufacturing a hot-texturized yarn by texturizing a first yarn at a first temperature; manufacturing a low-temperature-texturized yarn by texturizing a second yarn at a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature; integrating the hot-texturized yarn, the low-temperature-texturized yarn and a non-texturized yarn into a carrier; cutting the integrated yarns to form low-temperature-texturized fibers, hot-texturized fibers and non-texturized fibers extending from the carrier; exposing the carrier with the texturized and non-texturized fibers to a third temperature to cause the hot-texturized fibers to shrink and the low-temperature-texturized fibers to expand; after exposition to the third temperature, providing the carrier with the texturized and non-texturized fibers as the artificial turf.

1 . A method of manufacturing an artificial turf, the method comprising:
 manufacturing a hot-texturized yarn by texturizing a first yarn at a first temperature;   manufacturing a low-temperature-texturized yarn by texturizing a second yarn at a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature;   integrating the hot-texturized yarn, the low-temperature-texturized yarn and a non-texturized yarn into a carrier;   cutting the integrated yarns to form low-temperature-texturized fibers, hot-texturized fibers and non-texturized fibers extending from the carrier;   exposing the carrier with the texturized and non-texturized fibers to a third temperature to cause the hot-texturized fibers to shrink and the low-temperature-texturized fibers to expand;   after exposition to the third temperature, providing the carrier with the texturized and non-texturized fibers as the artificial turf.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the exposure to the third temperature causes:
 the low-temperature-texturized fibers to expand to a length L 2  which is similar to the length L 3  of the non-texturized fibers, wherein in particular L 2  is a length in the range of [L 3 −15%×L 3 −L 3 +15%×L 3 ], in particular a length in the range of [L 3 −10%×L 3 −L 3 +10%×L 3 ], and in particular a length in the range of [L 3 −5%×L 3 −L 3 +5%×L 3 ]; and/or   the low-temperature-texturized fibers to expand to a length L 2  which is shorter than the length L 3  of the non-texturized fibers, wherein in particular L 2  is a length according to: L 2 <L 3  and L 2 >L 3 −15%×L 3 , in particular according to L 2 <L 3  and L 2 >L 3 −10%×L 3  and in particular according to L 2 <L 3  and L 2 >L 3 −5%×L 3 ;   and wherein the length L 2  is longer than the length L 1  of the hot-texturized fibers,   wherein the lengths L 1 , L 2  and L 3  are fiber lengths after exposition to the third temperature.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the texturizing of the first yarn comprises:
 injecting a fluid under pressure into a gas-dynamic yarn texturing apparatus, 
 injecting the first yarn into the texturing apparatus via a yarn inlet port of the texturing apparatus, and 
 subjecting, inside a gas-dynamic yarn texturing expansion chamber of the apparatus, the first yarn at the first temperature to a turbulent flow of the fluid so that the texturing of the first yarn occurs; and/or 
 wherein the texturizing of the second yarn comprises: 
 injecting a fluid under pressure into a gas-dynamic yarn texturing apparatus, 
 injecting the second yarn into the texturing apparatus via a yarn inlet port of the texturing apparatus, and 
 subjecting, inside a gas-dynamic yarn texturing expansion chamber of the apparatus, the second yarn at the second temperature to a turbulent flow of the fluid so that the texturing of the second yarn occurs. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the fluid used for texturizing the second yarn is a hot gas and the pressure of the fluid is 3.0 to 4.0 bar, in particular 3.3 to 3.7 bar, in particular 3.4 to 3.6 bar; and/or   wherein the fluid used for texturizing the first yarn is a hot gas and the pressure of the fluid is at least 4.5 bar, in particular 5.0 to 8.0 bar.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first temperature is at least 10° C. hotter than the second temperature, in particular at least 20° C. hotter than the second temperature; and/or   wherein the third temperature is at least 10° C. hotter than the second temperature, in particular at least 20° C. hotter than the second temperature.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first temperature is a temperature of at least 70° C., in particular between 70° C. and 150° C., more particularly between 70° C. and 95° C.; and/or   wherein the second temperature is a temperature between 50° C. and 74° C., in particular between 55° C. and 65° C.; and   wherein the third temperature is a temperature above 70° C., in particular a temperature between 70° C. and 130° C., in particular a temperature between 80° C. and 90° C.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after the cutting, applying a liquid mass onto a backside of the carrier, the backside being opposed to the side from which the artificial turf fibers extend;   transporting the carrier with the applied liquid mass into an oven, wherein the exposing of the carrier with the texturized and non-texturized fibers to the third temperature comprises heating the carrier and the fibers and the applied mass in the oven to the third temperature to allow the mass to harden and to form a backing layer.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the low-temperature-texturized yarn, the hot-texturized yarn and/or the non-texturized yarn respectively are made of a first and a second polymer and a compatibilizer, wherein the first and second polymers are immiscible. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing an artificial turf, the method comprising:
 manufacturing a first texturized yarn by texturizing a first yarn at a first temperature;   manufacturing a second texturized yarn by texturizing a second yarn at a second temperature, the second temperature being lower than the first temperature;   integrating the first texturized yarn, the second texturized yarn and a non-texturized yarn into a carrier;   cutting the integrated yarns to form first texturized fibers, second texturized fibers and non-texturized fibers extending from the carrier;   exposing the carrier with the first and second texturized and the non-texturized fibers to a third temperature to cause the first texturized fibers to shrink and the second texturized fibers to expand;   after exposition to the third temperature, providing the carrier with the texturized and non-texturized fibers as the artificial turf.   
     
     
         10 . An artificial turf comprising:
 a carrier;   artificial turf fibers integrated into and extending from the carrier, the artificial turf fibers comprising:
 first texturized fibers having a first length; 
 second texturized fibers having a second length; 
 non-texturized fibers having a third length; 
   wherein the third length is longer than the first length.   
     
     
         11 . The artificial turf of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the second length is similar to the length (L 3 ) of the non-texturized fibers, wherein in particular L 2  is a length in the range of [L 3 −15%×L 3 −L 3 +15%×L 3 ], in particular a length in the range of [L 3 −10%×L 3 −L 3 +10%×L 3 ], and in particular a length in the range of [L 3 −5%×L 3 -L 3 +5%×L 3 ]; and/or   wherein the first length is less than 70% of the third length, in particular less than 60% of the third length.   
     
     
         12 . The artificial turf of  claim 10 , wherein the artificial turf is an infill-less artificial turf. 
     
     
         13 . The artificial turf of  claim 10 , further comprising a backing at least on the side of the carrier opposed to the side to which the artificial turf fibers extend, the backing fixing the artificial turf fibers in the carrier. 
     
     
         14 . The artificial turf of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the second texturized fibers have a higher thickness than the non-texturized fibers, wherein the artificial turf is in particular an artificial turf for sports; or   wherein the second texturized fibers have a lower thickness than the non-texturized fibers, wherein the artificial turf is in particular an artificial turf for landscaping.   
     
     
         15 . The artificial turf of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the length (L 3 ) of the non-texturized fibers is 4.0 to 8.0 cm, in particular 5.0 to 7.0 cm; and   wherein the length (L 2 ) of the second texturized fibers is 90% to 99.5% of the length of the non-texturized fibers, in particular 97% to 99.5% of the length of the non-texturized fibers.