| abstract |
The invention provides for a method of manufacturing artificial turf (1000), the method comprising the steps of: - creating (100) a liquid polymer mixture (100, 400, 500), wherein the polymer mixture is at least a two-phase system, a first one (402) of the phases comprising a first polymer and a first dye, a second one (404) of the phases of the polymer mixture comprising a second polymer and a second dye, the second dye having a different color than the first dye, the second polymer being of the same or of a different type as the first polymer, the first and the second phase being immiscible, the first phase forming polymer beads within the second phase; - extruding (102) the polymer mixture into a monofilament (606) comprising a marbled pattern of the first and second color; - quenching (104) the monofilament; - reheating (106) the monofilament; - stretching (108) the reheated monofilament to deform the polymer beads into threadlike regions (800) and to form the monofilament into an artificial turf fiber (1004); - incorporating (110) the artificial turf fiber into an artificial turf backing (1002). |