US 12,227,905 B2
Method for making artificial turf infill with rounded olive pit fragments
Stephan Sick, Baden-Baden (DE); Dario Grochla, Bochum (DE); and Sven Hamann, Muehlheim (DE)
Assigned to Polytex Sportbeläge Produktions-GmbH, Grefrath (DE)
Filed by Polytex Sportbelage Produktions-GmbH, Grefrath (DE)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/068,105.
Claims priority of application No. 22194956 (EP), filed on Sep. 9, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0084522 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. E01C 13/08 (2006.01); B01J 2/12 (2006.01)
CPC E01C 13/08 (2013.01) [B01J 2/12 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of creating an artificial turf infill, the method comprising:
providing olive pit fragments;
tumbling the olive pit fragments to produce an olive pit material comprising rounded olive pit fragments and olive pit particles; and
using the olive pit material as the artificial turf infill or as a component of the artificial turf infill,
wherein the tumbling is performed at an effective tumbling intensity and for an effective period of time to smoothen sharp edges of the olive pit fragments and generate a total olive pit material having a bimodal size distribution with a major mode and a minor mode,
wherein the major mode comprises the rounded olive pit fragments and has a peak between 0.5 mm to 4.0 mm, and
wherein the minor mode comprises the olive pit particles of a size less than 63 μm and has a peak at less than 63 μm.