The invention relates to a tufting unit for a tufting machine, wherein a yarn transport gripper positions yarn strands which after cutting thereof are used by insertion elements. Furthermore, the invention relates to a tufting unit having such a tufting machine.

An artificial turf includes an artificial turf infill. The artificial turf infill includes natural fiber mixed with rubber granulate. The artificial turf infill includes between 10% and 40% of the natural fiber by weight. The natural fiber includes any one of hemp fiber, cotton fiber, burlap fiber, sisal fiber, elephant grass fiber, or combinations thereof.

A method for producing an artificial turf fiber, comprising: preparing a core polymer mixture from a core polymer and a thread polymer forming beads within the core polymer; coextruding the core polymer mixture with a cladding polymer component into a monofilament, the core polymer mixture forming a cylindrical core, The cladding polymer component forming a cladding encompassing the core with a non-circular profile; quenching the monofilament; reheating the quenched monofilament; stretching the reheated monofilament to deform the beads into threadlike regions; and providing one or more of the stretched monofilaments as the artificial turf fiber.

Performance infill for grass fields is disclosed, as well as a process for the production of performance infill, and to grass fields including such performance infill.

Synthetic turf (1) comprising a mat (2) equipped with a first face (2a), which in use is arranged next to a surface (50) to coat, and with a second face (2b) opposite to the first face (2a). The synthetic turf (1) comprises, furthermore, a plurality of filaments (3) knitted to the mat (2) and made of a synthetic material. Above the second face (2b) of the mat (2), furthermore, an infill material (10) is present that is arranged all around the filaments (3) of artificial material. The infill material (10) comprises, in particular at least one layer (15) consisting of a mixture of a predetermined amount of cereal husks, such as rice husks, husks of wheat, husks of rye, husks of oat, husks of spelt, or a combination thereof, and wood sawdust obtained by a raw material with high content of lignin, such as Teak sawdust, Mahogany sawdust, Iroko sawdust, or a combination thereof.

An underlayment layer is configured to support an artificial turf assembly. The underlayment layer comprises a core with a top side and a bottom side. The top side has a plurality of spaced apart, upwardly oriented projections that define channels suitable for fluid flow along the top side of the core when the underlayment layer is positioned beneath an overlying artificial turf assembly.

A fibre for use in artificial turf has an elongate cross-sectional shape defining a first face and a second face that meet at side edges of the fibre. The first and second faces having respective first and second ridges that are offset with respect to each other, such that the cross-sectional shape is 2-fold rotationally symmetric with no reflectional symmetry. The fibre may be an extruded monofilament and shows improved resilience over symmetrical fibres of similar dimensions.

An artificial turf includes an artificial turf infill. The artificial turf infill includes natural fiber mixed with rubber granulate. The artificial turf infill includes between 10% and 40% of the natural fiber by weight. The natural fiber includes any one of hemp fiber, cotton fiber, burlap fiber, sisal fiber, elephant grass fiber, or combinations thereof.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to stretched filaments comprising a non-functionalized polyolefin and at least one functionalized polymer. The functionalized polymer is a propylene-based plastomer or elastomer having one or more functional groups grafted on the propylene-based plastomer or elastomer. The one or more functional groups is selected from the group consisting of amine groups and imide groups. The at least one functionalized polymer has a DSC melting point from 100 C. to 130 C. When the stretched filament is stretched to a stretch ratio of 5, the stretched filament has a tenacity greater than 0.90 cN/dtex

Disclosed are methods for making shock absorbing pads utilizing reclaimed artificial turf and reclaimed carpet materials. It is demonstrated that the artificial turf systems comprising inventive pads exhibit improved Head Impact Criteria (HIC) and cradle-to-cradle score.