Splash down
Polytan reduces synthetic pitch infill by 50% to solve issue of granulate splash
Synthetic sports playing surfaces
are lauded for its many benefits
including high-wear and lowmaintenance,
however they have been
subject to criticism from local
authorities and operators as a result
of the amount of rubber infill granules
that are discharged into the
surrounding environment during use.
To solve this issue, Germany-based
turf manufacturer Polytan has
developed a new synthetic turf system
that uses 50% fewer rubber granulates
for the infill, as well as the use of
textured turf filaments that help capture
the granules from dispersing.
The company’s new generation
of its LigaGrass Synergy synthetic turf
requires just 2kg of infill per square
meter, which is 50% less than its
LigaGrass CoolPlus predecessor, and up
to 80% less than the international infill
requirement of 16kg/m2.
04 www.stadia-magazine.com June 2019
The reduction in infill, however, is said
to not compromise performance or
player safety thanks to the use of
textured filaments with a wave-like
structure that not only help reduce infill
splash but also offer a higher fiber and
denser turf structure. With a newly
developed MultiTuft technology, Polytan
has for the first time combined two
textured filaments of different shapes
and width to form an optimal complete
system. The soft and flexible Synergy
filaments are combined with the larger
and firmer LigaGrass Pro filaments in this
process. As a result, the infill is held more
firmly in place in the turf without having
to compromise on traction and rotation.
Adding to its environmental
credentials, the rubber granulates
are made from a new EPDM product
that is a combination of natural and
fast-growing renewable raw materials,
introduced by Polytan in 2017. The
almost natural shape of the granules
reduces the bulk density of the material
and thus the amount required.
The new LigaGrass Synergy turf
is also available as a purely
sand-filled version for those
wanting to replace synthetic
infill entirely.
Polytan’s LigaGrass
Synergy synthetic turf
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