Q.What is PRO-gran?
A.PRO-gran is the innovative coated polymeric infill for artificial sports pitches. It is engineered to offer the very best in performance and is safe for players and the environment. The infill combines the exceptional dynamic properties of rubber which is then coated in inert polyurethane and meets the most stringent European toxicology and safety standards.
Q.What is infill?
A.On third generation (3G) artificial turf sports surfaces, infill keeps the artificial grass fibres upright and gives the pitch the playing characteristics of natural grass.
Q. What is PRO-gran like to play on?
A.PRO-gran gives you an unbeatable playing experience. No other artificial pitch infill matches PRO-gran’s performance for ball bounce, ball roll, consistency of play and surface stability. It doesn’t significantly compact and keeps the pitch safe from becoming slippery as well as providing excellent drainage. Other benefits include lower surface temperatures, no aroma, almost no splash, no airborne particulates and extensive testing shows that skin abrasion is reduced by 20-25%. PRO-gran artificial pitches are more visually attractive than with any other infill. It comes in a choice of green or brown and will look vivid, colourful and clean for many years to come.
Q. What are the alternative infills?
A.The most popular and until now best performing infill for 3G artificial sports pitches has been black rubber crumb. Other infills are TPE, EPDM and organic infills such as cork or coconut husks.
Q. Why was PRO-gran invented?
A.Murfitts Industries, the world leader in infill for artificial sports and play pitches, saw the need to develop a product that retained all the performance benefits of black rubber crumb while eliminating any possible risk to safety or health or to the environment. The result of a 12 month research and development programme is PRO-gran. This innovative infill not only addresses any safety and health perception so that people can enjoy participating in sport without worrying about the playing surface, it also offers a wide range of additional benefits. It is longer-lasting, has no dust or aroma, and tests show that PRO-gran will remain in perfect condition beyond the lifetime of a typical pitch. And with the choice of green or brown, your artificial pitch will look more impressive than the others. It’s a winning formula.
Q. Is PRO-gran safe to play on?
A.Yes - PRO-gran exceeds the EU’s toughest standards that are applied to consumer products in relation to harmful chemicals: REACH 1272/2013.
Q. Are there any health risks involved in playing sport on PRO-gran?
A.PRO-gran releases no heavy metals, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) or micro plastics. With no polluting or harmful substances, players can enjoy their sport worry-free as PRO-gran is 100% safe for people and the environment. It exceeds stringent European toxicology and safety standards.
Q. Does PRO-gran damage the environment?
A.PRO-gran does not contaminate or release harmful chemicals, PAHs or heavy metals into the air or ground, meaning there is no short or long-term harm to the local or wider environment. The product is therefore approved by the Dutch Soil Decree which is amongst the most stringent legislation in the EU at controlling the release of harmful chemicals and heavy metals into the environment, and which new harmonised European regulations will soon be based on.
Q. Does PRO-gran enable the sustainable recycling of tyres?
A.Due to their premium granular products Murfitts Industries is the largest recycler of post-consumer tyres in the UK, reclaiming and recycling over 11 million per year. Major automotive tyre suppliers and the public depend on trustworthy and environmentally sound ways of processing their industry by-product - which in itself is a highly engineered safety product we all depend upon. With their innovative methods and purpose built machinery, Murfitts are able to recover and recycle a full 100% of the component materials in all tyres. That’s 100% of the rubber, 100% of the steel and 100% of the fibre (the only tyre recycling plant in the world to be able to make this claim.). PRO-gran is made by encasing the processed rubber granule from the former tyre in an inert polyurethane coating specifically designed for the purpose. An end to end, sustainable, clean, green solution therefore remains available to the tyre industry for disposing of their ‘waste’ by-product with corporate social responsibility. Murfitts is licensed by the Environment Agency and are part of the Tyre Industry Federation’s Responsible Recyclers Scheme.
Q. How long will PRO-gran infill last before it needs to be replaced?
A.PRO-gran is harder wearing than any other pitch infills, and is guaranteed to last the lifetime of a pitch. It is still perfect after 15,000 cycles in Lisport XL tests; that’s the equivalent of 10 to 12 years of use.
Q. What maintenance does a PRO-gran pitch need?
A.With PRO-gran’s surface stability, no degradation or breakdown and installation tests, your pitch care needs are minimised. Maintenance is needed in line with the standard requirements of the carpet/system supplier.
Q. Is there a problem with splashing?
A.Some turf systems are susceptible to excessive splash from players and ball impacting the surface of a 3G pitch. With its particular design properties, PRO-gran results in much less splash, which means a better experience for the players and less of a visible effect for the fans.
Q. What does the product look like?
A.PRO-gran makes artificial pitches more visually attractive than with any other infill. Due to it’s innovative characteristics, robust testing and being UV stable, your pitch will look vivid, colourful and clean, and look like new for many years to come. It comes in a choice of green or brown. See www.murfittsindustries.com for images.
Q. Can PRO-gran be recycled?
A.Yes. The coating will last for the lifetime of the pitch and and then the infill can be extracted, brought back to the factory, recoated and then reused.
Q. How do you know that the product is safe, healthy and long-lasting?
A.Every batch of PRO-gran is tested to ensure full compliance with industry standards. Tests include particle, size distribution, environmental testing and wear tests. The coating is similar to that used for food grade products and for items such as surgical valves used inside the human body.
Q. Does PRO-gran meet the REACH Regulations?
A.PRO-gran meets the criteria for REACH 1272/2013 as an article. The European Union regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals regulations specify that the levels of eight named polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contained within toys and childcare items, such as babies’ teething rings or rattles, must be less than 0.5mg per kg of material. In all tests, PRO-gran has shown levels of zero for these eight specified PAHs.
Q. How can I be absolutely sure about the safety, performance and quality of PRO-gran?
A.Along with the results of the rigorous wear tests; complying with the most stringent European toxicology and safety standards and the sanction of the Dutch Soil Decree, PRO-gran also meets the requirements of FIFA Quality Programme for Football Turf and World Rugby Regulation 22.
Q. Is PRO-gran future-proof?
A.As PRO-gran already exceeds all existing and impending requirements in an ever-tightening landscape of safety and environmental compliance, releases no harmful substances and is guaranteed to remain in perfect condition for at least 12 years use of a typical pitch, that’s a yes! With ever changing legislation and a long term asset / facility why wouldn't you make sure you were safe from changes?
Q. What sports clubs already have PRO-gran on their pitches?
A.Cirencester Town Football Club, Shelford Rugby Football Club, French national football training complex and Japan’s Tokai University are already enjoying the playing experience and confidence that comes from having PRO-gran infill. Many more clubs across Europe are currently planning to install new pitches with PRO-gran since it was launched in early Autumn 2017.
Q. Do we need to replace our entire artificial pitch to benefit from PRO-gran infill?
A.PRO-gran can be retrospectively installed on existing pitches for clients who want to upgrade their infill, either for performance reasons or to reassure the users of the pitch.
Q. How will the changes to REACH and other European Environmental legislation affect PRO-gran?
A.Unlike black rubber crumb and some other infills, PRO-gran passes the new vigorously-tested limits for chemicals and heavy metals that can be released (leached) from products used in building projects.
Q. How many individual PRO-gran granules are there on a single pitch?
A.50 billion (we’ve counted them!)