As one of the most produced and widely used engineering plastics, the core feature of ABS polymer is that it makes up for the performance shortcomings of a single resin through the synergistic effect of three monomers, achieving the comprehensive characteristics of “hard but not brittle, tough but not soft”, and adapting to a variety of complex usage scenarios. Its applications cover multiple industries including electronics, automobiles, home furnishings, building materials, etc.
- Electronics and appliances. As a core material for home appliances and consumer electronics, ABS resin is primarily used in home appliance housings, consumer electronics accessories, and electronic components.
- Automotive. It is also a key plastic material for automotive interiors and exteriors, replacing metal to achieve lightweighting. This includes interior and exterior trims, as well as functional parts.
- Home and daily necessities. The acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin is used to make a variety of daily items, such as household items, toys, and stationery.
- Building materials. Used to produce pipes, panels, and other building materials, such as ABS drainage pipes, ABS decorative panels, and photovoltaic junction boxes.
- Stable Mechanical Properties. Its tensile strength is typically 40-50 MPa, and its flexural modulus is 2000-2800 MPa. These properties meet the load-bearing requirements of structural components (such as appliance housings and automotive brackets) without causing brittle cracking due to excessive rigidity. Its impact strength exhibits minimal temperature fluctuations, with a change rate of ≤20% within the temperature range of -20°C to 80°C, making it suitable for use in diverse climates (such as outdoor appliances and automotive exterior parts in northern China).
- Good Thermal Stability. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin typically has a heat distortion temperature (heat distortion temperature) of 80-100°C (under a load of 1.82 MPa) and a Vicat softening point of 90-110°C, meeting the temperature requirements of most everyday and industrial applications. For example, internal components of household appliances (such as washing machine drums and air conditioner fan blades) generate a certain amount of heat during long-term operation. ABS products can operate stably at temperatures below 80°C without noticeable softening or deformation. By adding glass fiber reinforcement and modification, the heat distortion temperature can be increased to 120-150°C, making them suitable for even higher-temperature applications (such as automotive engine peripheral components).
- Excellent Processing Performance. ABS resin typically has a melt flow rate (MFR) of 5-30 g/10 min (220°C/10 kg), significantly superior to engineering plastics such as PC (polycarbonate) and POM (polyoxymethylene). During injection molding, it rapidly fills the mold cavity (typically less than 10 seconds) and exhibits a stable mold shrinkage (1.0%-1.5%), facilitating dimensional control of products such as electronic and electrical interfaces and precision gears. Furthermore, it exhibits excellent extrusion properties, enabling the production of pipes, sheets, and profiles. The extruded products exhibit a smooth surface, eliminating the need for post-polishing.
- Weather and Aging Resistance. When used outdoors, ordinary acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin is susceptible to UV aging due to the butadiene rubber phase, leading to discoloration and brittleness. Therefore, it is typically modified by adding antioxidants and UV absorbers (this modification can extend the outdoor service life to 3-5 years). Specialized weather-resistant ABS (e.g., by adding carbon black or hindered amine light stabilizers) can extend the outdoor service life to 5-8 years. It can be used in automotive exteriors (such as rearview mirror housings and door handles) and outdoor lighting.
- Electrical Insulation. ABS copolymer has a volume resistivity of ≥10¹⁴Ω・cm, a dielectric loss tangent (1kHz) of ≤0.01, and a dielectric strength of ≥15kV/mm. It exhibits excellent electrical insulation properties and can be used in the manufacture of insulating components in electronic appliances (such as power supply housings, terminal blocks, and keyboard bases) to mitigate leakage risks. Its arc resistance (≥120 seconds) prevents breakdown and carbonization in products exposed to high-voltage arcs.
1. Acrylonitrile (A) provides rigidity and chemical resistance.
The cyano group (-CN) in the acrylonitrile molecule is highly polar, forming strong intermolecular forces with other molecules. This gives ABS resin excellent tensile strength (typically ≥40 MPa), flexural strength (≥60 MPa), and surface hardness (Rockwell hardness R100-R120). It also imparts good oil and solvent resistance (e.g., to gasoline, alcohol, and dilute acids), preventing swelling and cracking in products exposed to chemical media.
2. Butadiene (B) provides toughness and impact resistance.
Butadiene is an elastomeric monomer. In ABS resin, it is dispersed as a rubber phase (typically 0.1-1 μm in particle size) within the continuous phase, acting as a “micro shock absorber.” When the product is impacted, the rubber phase absorbs the impact energy and prevents crack propagation, allowing ABS resin to maintain excellent toughness even at low temperatures. Ordinary ABS has a notched Izod impact strength of 20-50 kJ/m² at -20°C. The modified ABS can even function normally at -40°C, avoiding the “low-temperature brittle cracking” drawback of styrene-based resins.
3. Styrene (S) Optimizes Processability and Appearance
Styrene monomer has excellent flowability and can reduce the melt viscosity of ABS resin, resulting in excellent processability (e.g., injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding). Furthermore, the aromatic ring structure of styrene imparts excellent surface gloss (enabling direct injection molding of high-gloss products) and is easily colorable (inorganic pigments and organic dyes can be added to create a variety of colors), meeting the high aesthetic requirements of home appliances and automotive interiors.
In summary, this “rigid skeleton (A+S) + elastic dispersed phase (B)” structure gives ABS resin its three core advantages: hardness, toughness, and ease of processing, making it a representative example of “balanced cost-effectiveness” among engineering plastics.
1. Acrylonitrile (A) provides rigidity and chemical resistance.
The cyano group (-CN) in the acrylonitrile molecule is highly polar, forming strong intermolecular forces with other molecules. This gives ABS resin excellent tensile strength (typically ≥40 MPa), flexural strength (≥60 MPa), and surface hardness (Rockwell hardness R100-R120). It also imparts good oil and solvent resistance (e.g., to gasoline, alcohol, and dilute acids), preventing swelling and cracking in products exposed to chemical media.
2. Butadiene (B) provides toughness and impact resistance.
Butadiene is an elastomeric monomer. In ABS resin, it is dispersed as a rubber phase (typically 0.1-1 μm in particle size) within the continuous phase, acting as a “micro shock absorber.” When the product is impacted, the rubber phase absorbs the impact energy and prevents crack propagation, allowing ABS resin to maintain excellent toughness even at low temperatures. Ordinary ABS has a notched Izod impact strength of 20-50 kJ/m² at -20°C. The modified ABS can even function normally at -40°C, avoiding the “low-temperature brittle cracking” drawback of styrene-based resins.
3. Styrene (S) Optimizes Processability and Appearance
Styrene monomer has excellent flowability and can reduce the melt viscosity of ABS resin, resulting in excellent processability (e.g., injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding). Furthermore, the aromatic ring structure of styrene imparts excellent surface gloss (enabling direct injection molding of high-gloss products) and is easily colorable (inorganic pigments and organic dyes can be added to create a variety of colors), meeting the high aesthetic requirements of home appliances and automotive interiors.
In summary, this “rigid skeleton (A+S) + elastic dispersed phase (B)” structure gives ABS resin its three core advantages: hardness, toughness, and ease of processing, making it a representative example of “balanced cost-effectiveness” among engineering plastics.
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