C4 polymer, C4 + C6 hybrid and C6 in artificial grass: what are and why do they determine the actual quality of the product

If you have compared artificial grass budgets and tried to understand the technical chips, you are likely to have seen references to polymers such as C4, C6 or C4 + C6 hybrids. Most suppliers do not explain what they mean. Many don't even specify them.

In this guide we explain it with real technical criteria: what is the polymer, what is the difference between C4, hybrids and C6, and what each implies for the durability and performance of the lawn you will install.

 

1. What is the polymer on the artificial grass thread

The artificial grass thread - the fiber that forms the briznas - is mainly made of low density linear polyethylene, known as LLDPE (Linear Low- Density Polyethylene).

This material determines that the thread is flexible, UV-resistant, elastic and capable of recovering its shape after being repeatedly stepped on. But not all LLDPE are the same. The key difference is in the comonomer that is incorporated during polymerization, and that's where the terms C4, C6 and hybrids enter.

 

Between 70% and 80% of the cost of manufacturing a square metre of artificial grass corresponds to the thread. And within the thread, polymer is the most determining factor of its long-term behavior.

 

2. What does C4, C6 and hybrid polymers mean?

These names refer to the number of carbon atoms of the comonomer used during the manufacture of polyethylene:

 

• C4 uses butene as a comonomer (4 carbon atoms)
• C6 uses hexene (6 carbon atoms)
• The hybrids combine both polymers in variable proportions to look for an intermediate point between cost and performance

 

The more carbon in the comonomer, the molecular ramifications that form in the polymeric chain are longer and better distributed. This has direct and measurable consequences for the flexibility, mechanical resistance and durability of the thread.

 

3. Practical differences between C4, hybrids and C6

C4 - The basic market standard

C4 is the most widespread polymer in the market entry segment. Its manufacturing cost is the lowest of the three and provides a product valid for decorative or low-demand uses.

Its limitations are evident on the outside with frequent use: lower elasticity, greater tendency to permanent crushing of the fiber and less resistance to the typical thermal cycles of the Spanish climate. In areas with intense solar incidence, color degradation and thread rigidization may occur in a few years.

It is the usual polymer in the most economic ranges on the market and in much of the import product without documented traceability.

 

C4 + C6 Hybrid - The average segment

The hybrids combine C4 and C6 polymer in variable proportions according to the manufacturer. This combination allows for better performance than pure C4 at a cost below C6.

It is the most common segment in the average range of the Spanish residential market: it offers a visible improvement over C4 in recovery and flexibility, with a moderate manufacturing price.

The important nuance is that not all hybrids are equal. The proportion of C6 in the mixture varies significantly between manufacturers and is not always stated in the specification. One hybrid with 20% C6 and one with 60% C6 have very different behaviors, but may appear under the same commercial name.

 

C6 - Quality reference in residential gardening

The C6 polymer represents the highest quality level in the standard manufacture of artificial grass for gardening. The longer ramifications of hexene generate a more regular molecular structure, with concrete benefits:

 

• Greater flexibility and touch nature of the thread
• Better recovery after repeated step, especially in frequent transit areas
• Increased resistance to cracking and fragization by prolonged UV exposure
• More stable behavior in climates with major thermal oscillations
• More stable color and texture over time

 

In Sumigran we work with polymer C6 as a reference in our collections of residential gardening and landscaping of the most advanced and differentiated ranges of the market. It is the technical basis on which we build the other specifications: dtex, density, backing and finish.

 

4. Technical comparison: C4, hybrid and C6

 

Feature	C4	Hybrid C4+C6	C6
Yarn elasticity	Low	average	high
Recovery after footfall	Limited	Good	Very good
UV resistance	Basic	Average	high
Estimated durability*	3–5 years of heavy use	5–8 years	8–15 years
Manufacturing cost	Low	Medium	Medium-high
Regular use	Decorative/occasional	Standard residential	Demanding garden

 

* Orientation durability. They also depend on dtex, stitch density, backing, installation conditions and especially on the use and maintenance of the lawn.

 

5. Why the polymer does not appear in most budgets

It's a legitimate question. If the polymer is so decisive in the quality and durability of the product, why don't most budgets specify it?

The answer has two parts. First: to declare the polymer requires the supplier to commit to a verifiable and audible technical quality. Second, a significant part of the product that is circulating on the market does not have manufacturer traceability, making it impossible to guarantee this data rigorously.

A supplier who cannot indicate the type of polymer of the thread that is selling you cannot guarantee the actual durability of the product. Not because he's necessarily lying, but because he probably doesn't know.

 

Always request in writing the type of polymer of the thread. If the answer is vague, generic or not, that lack of information is already relevant to your purchase decision.

 

6. Polymer in the complete technical context

Polymer is the most determining factor in the quality of the thread, but it must always be analysed together with the other specifications to obtain a complete view of the product:

 

• Decitex (dtex): the weight of the thread in grams per 10,000 meters, which determines its thickness and crushing resistance
• Fiber height: higher height, higher consumption of raw material and greater visual nature
• Stitch density: the number of handles per square meter, which directly influences recovery and appearance
• Backup system: the base that anchor the thread and determines the dimensional stability and the drainage rate

 

The most objective indicator for comparing products is the weight of fibre in kg / m ², which integrates dtex, height and density into a single data. But even that number needs to be interpreted along with the quality of the polymer: a high weight with C4 can yield worse than a slightly lower weight with C6.

 

7. A note on the C8: when the exception defines the standard

There is a higher level than C6: the C8 polymer, based on octeno as a comonomer. Its mechanical performance is higher in all parameters: greater flexibility, better recovery, greater resistance to long-term thermal and mechanical stress.

The C8 is not a regular polymer in artificial grass. Its use is practically restricted to high-performance sports facilities - professional football fields, competition surfaces - where the technical requirement justifies its higher manufacturing cost.

In the Spanish market for decorative and residential gardening, the C8 is, as far as we know, an absolute exception.

 

In Sumigran we have incorporated C8 polymer into two specific models of our gardening collection. It is a technical decision that responds to our exceptional product search: to bring to the decorative grass a level of performance usually reserved for professional sports installation. We don't do it as a commercial argument. We do so because we believe that technical excellence should not be exclusive to sport.

 

Conclusion

The type of polymer is one of the most important technical factors in the manufacture of artificial grass and, paradoxically, one of the least reported in the sector.

Understanding the difference between C4, hybrids and C6 allows you to ask specific and verifiable questions to any supplier. And the answer you receive - in content, in precision and in readiness to document it - will tell you more about the real quality of the product than any commercial argument.

 

- Content developed by technicians with direct product experience. Sumigran - Artificial grass specialists since 2003.