Abstract: The invention relates to polymer granules suitable as infill material for artificial turf structures wherein the granules have one or more hollow spaces, wherein each hollow space occupies at least 10% of the total volume of a polymer granule. The invention further relates to artificial turf structures comprising a backing sheet with an upper surface provided with fibres of a selected length, the fibres extending upwardly from the upper surface and an infill layer of hollow polymer granules or an e-layer comprising said hollow granules.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a vulcanised thermoplastic elastomer or styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene polymer (SEBS) as infill material in artificial turf systems. Artificial turf has achieved growing popularity in recent years, particularly for football fields. The vulcanised thermoplastic elastomer comprises a polyolefin and a rubber wherein the rubber is dynamically vulcanised by the use of a curing agent. The polyolefin is chosen from polyethylene or polypropylene and the rubber is chosen from EPDM or EPM. The rubber is dynamically vulcanised by a curing agent chosen from sulfur, sulfurous compounds, metal oxides, maleimides, phenol resins, silanes or peroxides.

Abstract: A plasto-elastomeric composition is described comprising thermoplastic olefinic resins and EPDM elastomers wherein the elastomeric phase is fully or partially crosslinked by means of an aromatic carboxylic acid and a non-halogenated phenolic resin.