Cleanability of synthetic mats for use in cattle barns

The suitability of radiochemical determination methods for examining cleanability of synthetic mats for use in cattle barns was investigated. Five synthetic mats with smooth or rough, undulating or profiled surfaces, were examined. Inorganic particles, in a model soil, were clearly removed more easily from all surfaces than oil in the model soil. The surface profile of the mats clearly influenced cleanability, particularly in the case of the particle soil. The radiochemical laboratory method functioned well with the experimental setup used.

Research highlights▶ In radiochemical-based laboratory tests, the cleanability of the cattle barn mat surfaces from inorganic particle soil depended on the surface texture, including of the macro level undulation or texture, and also surface roughness ▶ Removal of the oil soil was extremely poor from all synthetic mats examined ▶ The radiochemical method functioned well for the mat surfaces for used in cattle barns. The disadvantage of the method is that it’s not suitable for field use.