General Properties
Short Name:
Name:
Chemical Formula:
ABS
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymer
(C8H8)n1 (C4H6)n2 (C3H3N)n3
ABS is a terpolymer, consisting of acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene and styrene (see structural formula). The amount of the individual components can vary. Production is made by means of copolymerization or graft polymerization.
Structural Formula
Properties
| Glass Transition Temperature | -85/95 to 105/(125)°C |
|---|---|
| Melting Temperature | - |
| Melting Enthalpy | - |
| Decomposition Temperature | 420 to 428°C |
| Young's Modulus | 2200 to 3000 MPa |
| Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion | 80 to 100 *10-6/K |
| Specific Heat Capacity | 1.26 to 1.68 J/(g*K) |
| Thermal Conductivity | 0.15 to 0.20 W/(m*K) |
| Density | 1.03 to 1.07 g/cm³ |
| Morphology | Amorphous thermoplastic |
| General properties | Good relation between impact resistance and toughness. Heat resistant, low water absorption. |
| Processing | Injection molding, extrusion, vacuum forming. |
| Applications | Household and consumer goods (e.g. phones, hard-top cases, crash helmets), automobile and electrical industry, toys. |
| Modifications | Colored, blended with PMMA, fiber reinforcement, flame retardance. |
NETZSCH Measurement
| Instrument | DSC 204 F1 Phoenix® |
| Sample Mass | 12.28 mg |
| Isothermal Phase | 7 min |
| Heating/Colling Rates | 10 K/min |
| Crucible | Al, pierced lid |
| Atmosphere | N2 (50 ml/min) |
Evaluation
The three glass transitions, which are not equally well visible for all ABS types, are typical for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). Sometimes, only the glass transition at 100 to 105°C can be seen.
The first glass transition in the 2nd heating (red curve) with a temperature of approx. -84°C can be attributed to the polybutadiene component. The second glass transition at 106°C (2nd heating) can be attributed to the polystyrene component. In contrast to the 1st heating (blue), the glass transition in the 2nd heating shows a RelaxationWhen a constant strain is applied to a rubber compound, the force necessary to maintain that strain is not constant but decreases with time; this behavior is known as stress relaxation. The process responsible for stress relaxation can be physical or chemical, and under normal conditions, both will occur at the same time. relaxation peak, indicating that the cooling process in the instrument (controlled cooling between the two heatings) was slower than the cooling during production of the granulate. The last and highest glass transition at 118°C (1st heating) is dependent on the acrylonitrile component and – as can be seen in the enlarged scaling – overlaps with a peak in this case.