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ABS
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is one of the most widely used engineering thermoplastics, combining the strength and rigidity of acrylonitrile and styrene with the toughness of polybutadiene rubber. Its excellent balance of mechanical properties, ease of processing, and surface finishability makes it a go-to material for everything from consumer electronics enclosures to automotive components. ABS can be readily modified with additives to enhance UV resistance, flame retardancy, or impact strength, giving engineers tremendous flexibility in design.
Mechanical Properties
- Density: 1.04 g/cm³
- Tensile Strength: 43 MPa
- Yield Strength: 40 MPa
- Elongation at Break: 25%
- Flexural Modulus: 2,300 MPa
- Hardness (Rockwell): R 105
- Heat Deflection Temperature: 90°C @ 1.8 MPa
- Melting Point: 220–250°C
- Thermal Conductivity: 0.16 W/m·K
- Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: 8.0 × 10⁻⁵ /°C
- Water Absorption: 0.3%
- Flammability Rating: HB (UL94)
Advantages
🟢 Excellent impact resistance across a wide temperature range (-20°C to 80°C) — tough yet formable
🟢 Outstanding surface finish quality; takes paint, plating, and metallization exceptionally well
🟢 Good machinability with clean chip formation; suitable for CNC milling and turning
🟢 Excellent dimensional stability and low mold shrinkage; reproducibly holds tight tolerances
🟢 Wide availability in rod, sheet, and tube forms; cost-effective for medium-volume production
Machining & Manufacturing
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
| Cutting Speed | Turning: 300–600 m/minMilling: 1,000–2,000 RPM (Ø6–Ø12 mm end mills) | - |
| Tooling | Sharp carbide or PCD tools; larger rake angles preferred | Prevent wear caused by butadiene rubber component; reduce cutting force for soft material grades |
| Coolant | Flood coolant for continuous cutting; air blast for short interrupted cutting | Water-based coolant is commonly used; keep away from solvents to avoid contamination |
| Chip Control | Long stringy chips at low feed rates | Increase feed rate for segmented chips; use chip breakers for better chip removal |
| Surface Finish | Turning: Ra 0.8–1.6 μmMilling: Ra 1.6–3.2 μm | Achievable with sharp tools and optimized feed rates |
Common Applications
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