Material Characterization Testing of Synthetic Granular Composites Used in Equine Sports Surfaces

Abstract

Current material analytical characterization methods for synthetic equine granular composites used in thoroughbred horse racetracks in equine sports arenas are discussed. These synthetic granular composites exist at several popular racing surfaces in the United States and around the globe as a replacement for traditional dirt surfaces. These synthetic materials are composed of sand, polymer fiber, and rubber particulate components bound together by a wax polymeric binder. Materials testing is performed to analyze material constituent properties and how they change over time because of use, environmental factors, and surface maintenance with the goal of increasing surface consistency and the subsequent safety of bulk equine sport surfaces. The binder and component tests discussed are Soxhlet extraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, gas chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, refractive index, rheology, X-ray diffraction, and microscopy. Correlations to recently published and proposed equine ASTM standards are addressed with example test results.