An artificial turf filament has a cross-section that includes a body having a center juncture having a first width and a first and second wing member arranged in diverging orientation from the center juncture. Each wing member having a plurality of legs and a plurality of leg junctures positioned between respective legs of the plurality of legs. Moving from the center juncture to a distal end of each wing member, the minimal cross-sectional widths of the respective legs of the plurality of legs decrease and the maximal cross-sectional widths of the respective leg junctures of the plurality of leg junctures decrease.

An integrated photovoltaic module mounting system having a friction member for engagement with a portion of a tufted geosynthetic cover and optionally attaching connectors attached to a photovoltaic module and to the tufted geosynthetic cover, for collecting and utilizing solar energy. A method of securing a photovoltaic module to a tufted geosynthetic cover is disclosed.

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.

Implementations herein describe an artificial turf having a backing layer and a plurality of rows of individual tufts tufted into the backing layer. Each tuft comprises at least three yarns per tuft and each one of the at least three yarns varies in at least one of material, color, texture, denier and cross-section. Each row of individual tufts is substantially similar to each adjacent tufted row and adjacent tufts on a given row are spaced apart at a predetermined gauge.

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.

A tufted geotextile cover system, comprising a backing sheet tufted with first tuft lines of tufts on a first spacing and second transverse tuft lines of tufts on a second spacing greater than the first spacing to dispose the second tufts intermediate opposing pairs of the first tuft lines that define interstices for receiving infill, the tufts in the second tuft lines increasing resistance of the infill to displacement and dry flow movement in response to loading on the geotextile overlying a surface for covering a ground site. A closure system is disclosed using the tufted geotextile as a component overlying an impermeable geomembrane for resisting inflow of water below the ground surface.

The present invention relates to an artificial turf. In the present invention, nylon is used as the main material. Through selecting straight fibers and curve fibers with certain cross-sectional shapes, lengths and widths and using the straight fiber and curve fiber together, the obtained grass fibers not only have relatively good temperature resistance, but also good handfeel, wear resistance, anti-aging performance, grass fiber resilience, trampling resistance and grass uprightness.

The invention provides for a method of manufacturing artificial turf (1000), The method comprising the steps of: —creating (100) a polymer mixture (100, 400, 500) comprising at least one polymer and a nucleat ing agent for crystallizing the at least one polymer; —extruding (102) the polymer mixture into a monofilament (606); —quenching (104) the monofilament; —reheating (106) the monofilament; —stretching (108) the reheated monofilament to form the monofilament into an artificial turf fiber (1004), wherein during the stretching the nucleating agent boosts the creation of crystalline portions of the at least one polymer within the monofilament; —incorporating (110) the artificial turf fiber into an artificial turf backing, thereby mechanically fixing the monofilaments of the arranged artificial turf fibers in the artificial turf backing.

FIG. 2a

FIG. 2b

FIG. 2c

The method includes creating a polymer mixture, wherein the polymer mixture includes a stabilizing polymer, a bulk polymer, a flame retardant polymer combination, and a compatibilizer. The stabilizing polymer polymer and the bulk polymer are immiscible. The stabilizing polymer includes fibers surrounded by the compatibilizer within the bulk polymer. The stabilizing polymer is aramid. The flame retardant polymer combination is a mixture of triazin and melamine. The method further includes extruding the polymer mixture into a monofilament. The method further includes quenching the monofilament. The method further includes reheating the monofilament. The method further includes stretching the reheated monofilament to align the fibers relative to each other and to form the monofilament into an artificial turf fiber. The method further includes incorporating the artificial turf fiber into an artificial turf backing.

An artificial turf system includes a turf assembly having a turf backing and stands of artificial grass blades extending from the turf backing to form an artificial turf layer. Infill material is placed in between the blades of artificial grass and on top of the turf backing. The infill material has a composition of sand in an amount within the range of from about 80 to about 98 percent of the infill by dry bulk weight, and organic particles in an amount within the range of from about 2 to about 20 percent of the infill by dry bulk weight.