ABS Plastics Testing Services

Polyhedron Laboratories performs testing on ABS raw material and products. Our lab can test any of the properties of ABS materials including mechanical stress tests to ensure the material will meet end product specification. In addition, Polyhedron tests can:

All of Polyhedron's tests meet ASTM testing standards for the materials and products being tested.

ABS Information

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is a terpolymer consisting of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene. The usual ratio of materials is 50% styrene and 25% each of acrylonitrile and butadiene. The resulting polymer is comprised of a long chain of polybutadiene crossed with short chains of polystyrene-co-acrylonitrile. The short chains containing the nitrile monomers bond together, making ABS stronger than polystyrene. Styrene gives the plastic a hard, shiny surface and butadiene, which is a rubber, makes it resilient.

As a result, ABS is a lightweight, tough, rigid thermoplastic that has high impact and high mechanical strength. By varying the proportions of the monomers, ABS can be manufactured in different grades, with slightly different characteristics. Certain ABS compounds are ideal for extrusion and some for injection molding. Overall, ABS is ideal for molding, machining, turning, drilling, milling, sawing and die cutting. ABS also exhibits electrical insulating properties and is abrasion and moisture resistant. It has high chemical resistance to inorganic salts, alkalis and acids.

ABS is ideal for tough and high-use products and is used widely for industrial products such as piping, storage bins and trays, industrial enclosures and machine parts and housings. Consumer products as diverse as automotive parts, golf club heads and plastic toys, such as Legos, are manufactured with ABS.

The following table shows the typical properties of ABS, but the properties can vary depending on the formulation.

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PROPERTIES ASTM TEST METHOD COMMON VALUES AND RANGES
Melt flow (g/10 min)

D1238

1-18

Melting temperature, °C

 


100-120

Processing temperature range, °C - Injection

 


246

Molding pressure range, 103 psi

 


10-20

Tensile strength at break, psi

D638

3660-6607

Elongation at break, %

D638

5-75

Tensile yield strength, psi

D638

4000-7000

Compressive strength (rupture or yield) psi

D695

2000-8000

Flexural strength (rupture or yield) psi

D790

10,000

Tensile modulus, 103 psi

D638

250-450

Compressive modulus, 103 psi

D695

300

Flexural modulus, 103 psi (23°C)

 

D790

293-381

Izod Impact, ft·lb/in of notch

D256A

0.93-7.49

Rockwell Hardness

 

D785

100-110

Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, 10-6 in/in/°C

D696

90

Deflection temperature °C (66 psi )

D648

104°

Specific gravity (g/cm3)

D792

1.04

Water Absorption, % ( 24 hrs.)

 

D570

0.2-0.35

Dielectric strength short time, v/mil

D149

450

 

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to inquire about a quote from Polyhedron Laboratories, Inc.
or call us today at 281-879-8600