Effect of Polymer Structure and Processing Parameters on the Artificial Turf Pile Fiber Properties

In recent years, there has been a marked introduction of artificial turf as a replacement of natural turf by considering its lower cost, easier maintenance and higher durability. Artificial turf has been used, not only in different sports (such as soccer, rugby, tennis, golf, and cricket) but also in landscaping (gardens, parks, and playgrounds). Polymeric filaments have been used successfully in the artificial turf yarn. These filaments are made from thermoplastic materials, namely polyethylene, polypropylene and polyamide. Among them, polyethylene is the most important polymer used in the production of artificial turf yarn especially in sports-related articles. This review presents the influence of polymer structure and processing parameters on the behavior of the artificial turf pile filaments and more specifically on their resiliency and durability. The structure–materials–processing interaction triangle is being considered and discussed how polymer structure may affect the final properties of filaments. There are some challenges to produce high performance turf yarn. It is evident that some physical and mechanical properties of turf pile fiber are related to polymer characteristics and significant alteration in these properties is not possible during polymer processing.