What is ABS Plastic?

• ABS plastic or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is an opaque thermoplastic and amorphous polymer. It is a material made up of 3 types of molecules: Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene, whose formula is (C8H8 · C4H6 · C3H3N) n.

• ABS resin is a general plastic that chemically polymerizes acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene to balance their characteristics.

• ABS plastic it is excellent characteristics in welding, heat fusion, easy coloring, good surface gloss and excellent mechanical, electrical properties and chemical resistance, it is used in various fields such as mockup, automobile, electric and electronic products.

ABS Plastic Made up of 3 Material Types

• Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is an engineering thermoplastic, amorphous polymer. ABS is made up of three monomers: acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene.

Material Acrylonitrile

• It is a synthetic monomer produced from propylene and ammonia. This component contributes to ABS chemical resistance & heat stability.

Material Butadiene

• It is produced as a by-product of ethylene production from steam crackers. This component delivers toughness & impact strength to ABS polymer.

Material Styrene

• It is manufactured by dehydrogenation of ethyl benzene. It provides rigidity & processability to ABS plastic.

History of ABS Plastic

• Styrene Acrylonitrile copolymers have been available since the 1940’s and while its increased toughness over styrene made it suitable for many applications, its limitations led to the introduction of a rubber (butadiene) as a third monomer and hence was born the range of materials popularly referred to as ABS plastics.

• These became available in the 1950’s and the variability of these copolymers and ease of processing has led to ABS becoming the most popular of the engineering polymers.

Technical ABS Plastic

Physical Properties of ABS Plastic

Tensile Strength: 40 - 50 Mpa

Notched Impact Strength: 10 - 20 Kj/m²

Thermal Coefficient of expansion: 70 - 90 x 10-6

Max Cont Use Temp: 80 - 95 Deg.C

Density: 1.0 - 1.05 g/cm3

Chemical Resistance of ABS Plastic

Dilute Acid: Very Good

Dilute Alkalis: Very Good

Oils and Greases: Very Good

Aliphatic Hydrocarbons : Moderate

Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Poor 

Halogenated Hydrocarbons: Poor 

Alcohols: Poor (variable)

Different Type of ABS Plastic

ABS Plastic Sheets

ABS Plastic  Rods

Key Features of ABS Plastic

• Superior mechanical properties

• Dimensional stability

• Excellent processability, weldability, adhesion

• ABS is a tough but non-brittle plastic that has stability under very good loads.

• Characteristics of ABS plastic are impact resistance and toughness, impact resistance does not decrease quickly at low temperatures. ABS with heat equivalent or better than Acetal, PC … at room temperature.

• When not impacted, damage occurs due to bending more brittle. Physical properties have little effect on humidity but only affect the dimensional stability of ABS.

Application of ABS Plastic

ABS Plastic for Industrial Parts

• These include domestic appliances, telephone handsets computer and other office equipment housings, lawn mower covers, safety helmets, luggage shells, pipes and fittings.

• With good toughness, ABS is also used in the packaging industry, especially for food, injection molding products, containers and membranes, helmets, toys …

ABS Plastic for Automotive

• ABS plastic is often found as automotive interior and exterior trim components.

• Automotive construction places particularly high requirements on the materials used. Under extreme stresses they have to be dimensionally stable and must not warp, even when faced with great temperature variations.

ABS Plastic for Electrical and Electronic

• ABS plastic is used in electrical insulation products, in electronic engineering and communications.

• Electrical and eletronics industries increasingly require surfaces which are not only highly scratch- and wear-resistant but also decorative and easy to maintain.  ABS’s excellent antistatic performance is a particular advantage here. 

ABS Plastic for Office Equipment

• Attractive products with elegant design and high quality create a feeling of well-being at home and in the office. ABS can create exciting and varied color schemes. Grades can also be electroplated, emboss-stamped or metallized.

• Depending on the molding equipment used.  Surfaces can be matt, glossy or satin.