Sapel Blog
What Is ABS Plastic?
One of the most widely used materials in our industry is ABS plastic. It entered the industrial world in the 1950s and, thanks to its outstanding performance, quickly won over manufacturers. It is made by combining three main chemical components, which together create an unbeatable blend: the first gives it chemical resistance and high strength; the second, which is rubbery, makes our plastic highly impact-resistant so that it doesn’t break easily; and the third gives it a bright, glossy finish and makes it much easier for us to shape in the workshop. The key point is that ABS is a “thermoplastic”: we can melt it with gentle heat, pour it into our precision molds and give it new shapes again and again.
The Three Components of ABS
The name ABS actually comes from the first letters of the three main chemicals that combine to form this plastic. Here are the three components:
1. Acrylonitrile: this is the part that gives the plastic its muscle. It gives our finished product very high strength and good resistance to a wide range of chemicals.
2. Butadiene: this is essentially a type of rubber and the real secret behind the toughness of our products. Butadiene acts like a shock absorber inside the plastic, increasing its flexibility and toughness so that containers and parts don’t break easily if they are dropped or knocked.
3. Styrene: this has two very important jobs: first, it gives the product a very bright, glossy, attractive finish; and second, it helps the plastic melt and flow easily inside our machines.
Properties and Advantages of ABS Plastic
The impact resistance of this plastic is truly amazing, and it is unbeatable for products that need to last for years and work in harsh conditions. But one of its most important properties for mold making and part production is its high dimensional accuracy and very low shrinkage as it cools. This means that when we build a mold accurate to the millimeter, the finished product comes out of the machine at exactly those dimensions, without any distortion, which is extremely important for flawless production. ABS is also a very good electrical insulator and takes color exceptionally well, which is vital for producing plastic parts in bright, attractive colors that customers love.
Everyday and Industrial Uses of ABS
To give you a better idea of how much this material is part of our lives, let me give you a few familiar examples. While polyethylene is the more common choice in the packaging industry for making all kinds of plastic jerrycans and plastic bottles, in the car industry ABS is used for dashboards and bumpers, which have to withstand heavy impacts in collisions. At home, too, if you look at the body of a vacuum cleaner, a mixer, a coffee maker or even a TV remote, you will find this plastic. Even more interesting, the toy building bricks that last for years and are handed down from one generation to the next are made of exactly this material. Finally, one of its most important uses is in medical and industrial containers and housings that need high durability and chemical resistance.
The Limitations and Weaknesses of ABS
For all its advantages, this plastic doesn’t get on well with direct sunlight: if it stays outdoors for a long time, it discolors, turns yellow and becomes brittle. That said, the problem can be managed well by adding protective additives before the part is made. It also has limited heat resistance and starts to soften and deform at high temperatures (around 90 to 105 °C). In addition, it is weak against fire and catches light quickly, unless flame retardants are added to the compound during production to make the product safer.
Recycling ABS Plastic
To finish, as a manufacturer, I want to talk about something Sapel cares deeply about: protecting the environment. Although ABS breaks down in nature only with great difficulty and over a very long time, the very good news is that it is extremely recyclable. The plastic can be ground up again, washed and used to make new products. This cycle lets us make high-quality parts and packaging containers while helping to conserve our precious natural resources and making sure less waste ends up in nature.
