Colortherm® pigments from LANXESS bring color to sports, no matter what the name of the game.
Icy temperatures in the depth of winter, scorching heat in summer and rain that, in some corners of the planet, falls in monsoonal downpours. Sports venues around the world have to be able to resist a wide range of weather phenomena. Along with facades, the grass in the middle of a stadium is particularly subject to these conditions. In most cases, it is also not protected by a roof. As a result, stadium operators today increasingly rely on resilient artificial turf, which offers many advantages over its natural counterpart.
Not only is artificial turf less expensive to maintain – requiring neither mowing, fertilizing nor watering – it also provides perfect conditions for play all year long, without puddles or tripping hazards such as holes or tufts of grass. Word of this potential has spread. Soccer pitches, golf courses, tennis courts and football fields worldwide are equipped with artificial turf, as are surfaces at bowling alleys and indoor pools. Since the late 1980s, professional field hockey has been played exclusively on artificial turf. Colortherm® pigments from LANXESS have become a popular tool for coloring artificial blades of grass. They withstand wind and weather.
For the right atmosphere
The pigments’ weather resistance is an advantage for professional athletes and spectators alike. After all, there is more to an unforgettable stadium experience than just the players’ performance. The atmosphere also has to be right. “When your favorite team is playing, you probably want to see it on a turf that is rich and green,” says Stefano Bertolucci, Product Expert for Colortherm® pigments at LANXESS. “That is why our inorganic pigments for coloring artificial turf have proven so successful. Not only do they make it possible to precisely match the natural color of grass, they also help keep artificial turf looking great for years to come, despite rain, snow or ice.”
Colortherm® pigments are easy to use. Because they are ground into ultra-fine particles during production, they are available as a powder that is easily distributed in plastic. More specifically, this means that a content of 1 to 4 percent by weight in the plastic “blades of grass” creates a rich color. The pigments are also coated with a special protective layer, allowing them to be processed at temperatures of up to 260 degrees without losing their color intensity. In addition to Colortherm® Yellow pigments, which are used for artificial turf, LANXESS also offers reds, greens, browns and blacks that are available in up to 100 different shades. “The synthetically produced iron oxide pigments are completely safe for people and nature,” Stefano Bartolucci explains. In terms of mass, iron is the second most common element on earth and is the fourth most common one in the earth’s crust, accounting for around 5 percent. “However, in terms of coloring, our pigments are superior to their natural counterparts thanks to their purity,” Bartolucci says.
From seats to artificial track
Green, red, yellow, brown or black – thanks to their properties, LANXESS pigments can be used to color nearly all plastics. So it is no wonder that they are today used beyond artificial turf to color plastic products in the world of sports. Years on, LANXESS pigments still keep running tracks and seats in the stands at many stadiums looking colorful and bright, despite sun, rain, snow, ice and technical demands.
Copyright “Grass mat on white background” (title motif): Anucha Tiemsom, shutterstock.com, #447105508
