Artificial grass with latex or polyurethane?
WATER SOLUBILITY
POLYURETHANE FINISH No deterioration
LATEX FINISHING Deteriorates and loses strength. Good quality artificial turf is made with a latex backing and should drain an average of 60ltr/m2/hr.
Which entity or standard certifies that this is the case?
HUMIDITY
POLYURETHANE: Does not weaken on contact with moisture
LATEX: Weakens to 65%
Experience has shown that in sports facilities erected after 15 years, the latex has remained intact.source Texgrass. More than 90% of football pitches in Spain use this backing and there is no study or case study certified by an impartial laboratory that proves this weakening.
TEMPERATURE
POLYURETHANE: No change up to -20ºC
LATEX: At 0ºC it cracks
There are football pitches in Finland and Russia where FIFA games are held at temperatures below 0°C and the latex has not caused any incidents.Source Texgrass-Fieldturf. Search google for Fieldturf football pitches in Russia.
FORCE
POLYURETHANE: Very strong, provides better plume grip and increased two-dimensional stability (0.02%).
LATEX: Much weaker, considerably less in both cases (0,5%)
What entity or standard certifies this data?
The minimum accepted mark is 3 DN.The artificial turf lifted from a football pitch after 20 years shows that the starting DN of the plume is above what is required. Sources: Texgrass
QUALITY
POLYURETHANE: The highest quality as a base existing in the market.
LATEX: Low quality, used as a more economical solution
Latex is not the cheapest option, it is the pioneer in the industry.
It complies with all regulations.
More than 20 years of experience proves the quality of latex and proves its performance over time.
INSTALLATION
POLYURETHANE: Easy installation: less weight of the rolls. Clean cut. Adapts to the irregularities of the terrain, without bags.
LATEX: Expensive installation, heavy rolls. Irregular cut. Very rigid material, creates bags.
What entity or standard certifies it?
The experiences and comments of our installers in this respect are divided.
JOINTING
POLYURETHANE: Superior bonding.
LATEX: Medium bonding
The quality of the glue depends on the glue, the joint tape and the application.
DURABILITY
POLYURETHANE: Extreme durability.
LATEX: Depends on use and quality. Many contain low quality fillers to increase final weight, weakening the product
There is no relationship between the filling used and the backing
The quality of the filling affects the fibre, never the backing.
Fields of 20 years of use Keep latex intact. Source: Texgrass
WARRANTY
POLYURETHANE: 3 times more than latex
LATEX: Low
To be checked. So far latex has a base of 20 years while the use of polyurethane in the manufacture of artificial turf is very recent.
ENVIRONMENT
POLYURETHANE: FULLY RECYCLABLE
LATEX: Non-recyclable material
False. Latex is recyclable, reusable and recoverable.