Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
organic polymer
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS; chemical formula (C8H8)x·(C4H6)y·(C3H3N)z) is a thermoplastic polymer, in common use since the 1950s. At room temperature it is an amorphous solid and has no definitive melting point, due to the varying length of monomer chains and various degrees of cross-linking. Its glass transition temperature is approximately 105 °C (221 °F).
ABS is a terpolymer made by polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene. The proportions can vary from 15% to 35% acrylonitrile, 5% to 30% butadiene and 40% to 60% styrene. The result is a long chain of polybutadiene crisscrossed with shorter chains of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile). The nitrile groups from neighboring chains, being polar, attract each other and bind the chains together, making ABS stronger than pure polystyrene. The acrylonitrile also contributes chemical resistance, fatigue resistance, hardness, and rigidity, while increasing the heat deflection temperature. The styrene gives the plastic a shiny, impervious surface, as well as hardness, rigidity, and improved processing ease. The polybutadiene, a rubbery substance, provides toughness and ductility at low temperatures, at the cost of heat resistance and rigidity.
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