Artificial turf originated in 1960, the brainchild of David Cheney, but didn’t gain widespread prominence until 1966 when the Houston Astros baseball organization installed the synthetic grass in their self-proclaimed 8th wonder of the word—the Astrodome. Because of its limited supply of artificial turf, only the infield was covered at the time, the outfield receiving the same treatment soon after the All-Star break. Constructed from synthetic fibers, improving upon grass’ naturally forming plant fibers, scientists use a process called extrusion where fiber forming materials are forced through small holes thereby creating a thread. The fibers were originally made from cellulose, a main part of the cell wall in plants, and appropriately named cellulose fibers. Today, however, synthetic fibers are used from various synthesized polymers and small, petroleum-based molecules. The invention boomed in sports stadiums and arenas throughout the 1970s, compelling Sports Illustrated to call Chaney “responsible for indoor major league baseball and millions of welcome mats.” By 2009 FIFA, or the International Federation of Association Football, had even created a star system for professional soccer fields using artificial turf.
