Astroturf

This sample of artificial turf is made from nylon or polypropylene fibres that are dyed green to take on the appearance of grass, and a backing that is probably made from polyester tyre cord covered in a layer of latex. It is made in a similar way to carpet: a yarn is made that is then inserted into the backing with a needle in a process called ‘tufting’ and then fixed with the latex. Astroturf is so-called because it came to prominence in 1966 when it was used in the Astrodome, the indoor stadium of baseball team, the Houston Astros. It was installed to replace the real turf that had been starved of sunlight when the acrylic roof panels were painted white to cut down glare that affected players. Artificial turf has the benefit of being much easier and cheaper to maintain than real grass, but has its own drawbacks, one of which is the friction burns caused through sliding on astroturf. The use of polyethylene yarns in the most recent turfs is an attempt to eliminate this problem.