Effect of the Thickness and Width of Artificial Turf Fiber on the Friction and Electrostatic Charge Generated During Sliding

The present work discusses the effect of the fiber thickness and width of the artificial turf on the friction and electrostatic charge (ESC) generated during sliding ofsport and football shoes as well as bare foot on its surface. Friction coefficient and ESC are determined at dry and water wet sliding. Based on the experiments carried out in the present work, it was observed that as the fiber thickness increased, friction coefficient increased. Bare foot showed the lowest friction due to the leakage of ESC from the contact area through the human body so that the adhesion between bare foot and turf surface decreased. Besides, ESC generated at the sliding surfaces increased with increasing fiber thickness due to the increase of fiber deformation. At water wet sliding, bare foot showed relatively higher friction values due to the squeeze action followed by the sport shoes, while football shoes displayed the lowest values. In addition, turf of smooth surface displayed the highest intensity of electrostatic charge. It is recommended to introduce new materials to be used as artificial turf of lower ESC to reduce its hazards.