01

Overview of ABS Materials

ABS material, whose full name is acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, is an engineering plastic with excellent performance. It combines the heat resistance of acrylonitrile, the elasticity of butadiene and the hardness of styrene, demonstrating outstanding physical and chemical properties. In the field of structural design, ABS material is widely used in multiple industries such as automobiles, electronics, and home appliances due to its excellent stability and processability. With the continuous advancement of technology, the application prospects of ABS materials are becoming increasingly broad.

"Material composition"

ABS material is composed of three components: acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene.Among them, acrylonitrile gives it excellent chemical resistance and thermal stability, butadiene provides the necessary toughness and impact strength, and styrene ensures the hardness and processability of the material.

Material inspection and identification

The testing of ABS materials covers multiple aspects Including density (ASTM D-792), shrinkage rate (ASTM D-955), flow coefficient (ASTM D-1238), tensile strength (ASTM D-635), elongation (ASTM D-638), flexural strength (ASTM D-790), and flexural modulus (ASTM D-790), etc. In addition, there are key indicators such as IZOD impact strength, Rockwell hardness, heat distortion temperature, and Vicat softening point. The identification of ABS materials can be carried out through various methods. For instance, pressing a hot iron wire or hot rod onto the sample can determine whether it is a thermoplastic material. A small amount of the sample can be placed in water to observe whether its density is greater than that of water. If a small amount of the sample is burned, the conditions of its flame and smoke can be analyzed, etc.

02

Properties of ABS material

Advantages and disadvantages

ABS material has excellent comprehensive performance, including high strength, strong impact resistance, and good injection molding fluidity. Meanwhile, it also features excellent heat resistance, oil resistance and chemical stability, with stable dimensions and easy mechanical processing. In addition, ABS material also features excellent mechanical properties such as impact strength and tensile strength, as well as high gloss, high whiteness and outstanding color matching performance. Despite this, it also has some shortcomings. For instance, it is not resistant to organic solvents and may be dissolved or swollen by some organic solvents. Meanwhile, its heat resistance still needs to be further improved. The heat distortion temperature of ordinary ABS is only 95℃ to 98℃. In addition, although its performance can be improved by blending with materials such as PVC and PC, there are still some limitations.

"Modification method"

To further enhance the performance of ABS materials, various modification methods can be adopted. For instance, blending with PVC can enhance its impact toughness, flame resistance, etc. Blending with PC can enhance impact strength and heat resistance. The addition of flame retardants can effectively enhance its fire resistance. In addition, blending with glass fiber can enhance the strength of the material. Transparent ABS materials can also be produced by methods such as changing the acrylonitrile composition to methyl methacrylate.

03

Application and Treatment of ABS materials

Surface treatment and connection methods

The surface treatment methods for ABS materials are diverse, including water plating, vacuum plating, and oil spraying (painting) processes. Among them, water plating requires the use of electroplated grade ABS to achieve the best effect, while oil spraying can produce a rich variety of patterns with different effects. In addition, processes such as screen printing, pad printing and hot stamping are also frequently used for surface decoration of ABS materials. Meanwhile, the connection methods of ABS material are flexible and diverse, including snap-fit, screw, hot melt, ultrasonic and glue, etc. The appropriate connection method can be selected according to actual needs.

Scope of application and shrinkage rate

ABS material is widely used in multiple fields, such as game console shells, household appliances, daily life shells, and electronic product shells, etc. At the same time, it is also used to manufacture a wide range of products such as air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, televisions, water dispensers, telephones, hair dryers, heaters, toys and refrigerators. During the injection molding process, its shrinkage rate will affect the injection molding, so it is necessary to precisely control the shrinkage rate according to the specific product requirements.

Injection molding process

When processing ABS material, it is necessary to pay attention to its hygroscopicity. Therefore, it is recommended that the material be dried at a temperature of 80℃ to 90℃ for at least 2 hours before injection molding. The melting temperature range is from 210℃ to 280℃, while the optimal recommended temperature is 245℃. The mold temperature has a significant impact on the surface roughness of the plastic part. It is recommended to adjust it within the range of 25℃ to 70℃. The injection pressure should be controlled between 500bar and 1000bar. The injection speed is preferably medium to high, and at the same time, with an appropriate looseness (overflow volume), it should be controlled between 0.02mm and 0.05mm.