REDUCING ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE GENERATED FROM SLIDING OF RUBBER ON PROPOSED ARTIFICIAL TURF

Meshref, A. A.; Ali, A. S.; Ali, W. Y.; Hamdy, K.

doi:10.21608/jest.2023.319526

REDUCING ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE GENERATED FROM SLIDING OF RUBBER ON PROPOSED ARTIFICIAL TURF

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Production Engineering and Mechanical Design Dept., Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, El-Minia, EGYPT.

² Mechanical Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering, Suez Canal University, EGYPT.

10.21608/jest.2023.319526

Abstract

The application of artificial turf (AT) made of polyethylene (PE) fibers is extensively applied in different fields. Because it needs no water and is relatively cheap and carefree, it replaces natural turf. The major drawback of the AT is the high magnitude of generated electrostatic charge (ESC) that has negative effects on the safety of the people. The present work aims to reduce ESC generated from contact-separation and sliding of rubber soles by the addition of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) into AT.

The present experimental work reveals that ESC decreased as PMMA content increased up to 50 wt. % of AT. When AT was rinsed by water, ESC drastically decreased at contact-separation and sliding of rubber on AT because water was responsible to transfer the negative and positive ESC to the surfaces of rubber and AT. Besides, ESC decreased with the increase of the load. AT gains negative ESC, while PMMA gains positive one after contact-separation and sliding on rubber. The transfer of the ESC with each other increased with increasing the load. Finally, It can be recommended to blend AT by PMMA strings up to 50 wt. % of the AT.

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