# US 2025/0146231 A1 · Impact-cushioning particles, artificial turf structure, and paved structure

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- Number: US 2025/0146231 A1
- Document ID: US20250146231A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/014,799
- Filed: 2025-01-09
- Published: 2025-05-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-07-19
- Assignees: Kaneka Corporation
- Applicants: Kaneka Corporation
- Inventors: Tetsuo OKURA; Shigeru TANAKA; Koki OHTA; Koichi DOHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250146231A1

## CPC

- E01C 13/08: Surfaces simulating grass {; Grass-grown sports grounds (grass-like surfaces for skiing E01C13/12)}
- C08G 63/06: derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids
- C08K 5/103: with polyalcohols
- C08L 67/04: Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones (C08L67/06 takes precedence)
- C08K 5/0016: {Plasticisers}
- C08L 2205/025: containing two or more polymers of the same hierarchy C08L, and differing only in parameters such as density, comonomer content, molecular weight, structure
- E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H)
- C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)

## Abstract

Impact-cushioning particles contain a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component. The poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component contains a copolymer component (A), and the copolymer component (A) includes a copolymer (A-1) and/or a copolymer (A-2). The impact-cushioning particles are suitable for use in artificial turf or a paved structure. Copolymer (A-1) is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate units and other hydroxyalkanoate units, in which the content of the other hydroxyalkanoate units is from 1 to less than 10 mol %. Copolymer (A-2) is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate units and other hydroxyalkanoate units, in which the content of the other hydroxyalkanoate units is 24 mol % or more.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-10. (canceled)

### Claim at position 2

11: An artificial turf structure, comprising artificial turf and the impact-cushioning particles comprising a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component, wherein
gaps between piles of the artificial turf are filled with the impact-cushioning particles,
the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component comprises a copolymer component (A),
the copolymer component (A) comprises a copolymer (A-1) and/or a copolymer (A-2),
an average content of hydroxyalkanoate units other than 3-hydroxybutyrate units in the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component is from 10 to 25 mol %,
the copolymer (A-1) is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate units and other hydroxyalkanoate units, wherein a content of the other hydroxyalkanoate units is from 1 to less than 10 mol %, and
the copolymer (A-2) is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate units and other hydroxyalkanoate units, wherein a content of the other hydroxyalkanoate units is 24 mol % or more.

### Claim 12

(canceled)

### Claim at position 4 (depends on 11)

13: The artificial turf structure according to claim 11, wherein a content of the copolymer (A-1) and/or the copolymer (A-2) is at least 50 wt % based on a total weight of the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component.

### Claim at position 5 (depends on 11)

14: The artificial turf structure according to claim 11, wherein the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component has a melting point of from 120° C. to 170° C.

### Claim at position 6 (depends on 11)

15: The artificial turf structure according to claim 11, wherein the other hydroxyalkanoate units are 3-hydroxyhexanoate units.

### Claim at position 7 (depends on 11)

16: The artificial turf structure according to claim 11, comprising from 10 to 70 parts by weight of a plasticizer per 100 parts by weight of the total poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) resin component.

### Claim at position 8 (depends on 16)

17: The artificial turf structure according to claim 16, wherein the plasticizer is a modified glycerin ester compound.

### Claim at position 9 (depends on 17)

18: The artificial turf structure according to claim 17, wherein the modified glycerin ester compound comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of glycerin diacetomonolaurate, glycerin diacetomonooleate, glycerin monoacetomonostearate, glycerin diacetomonocaprylate, and glycerin diacetomonodecanoate.

### Claim at position 10 (depends on 18)

19: The artificial turf structure according to claim 18, wherein the modified glycerin ester compound comprises glycerin diacetomonolaurate.