All You Need to Know About ABS for 3D Printing

ABS or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is a thermoplastic polymer that is quite common for industrial applications. It is known especially for its high impact resistance at low temperatures and for creating lightweight parts. Adding to that, ABS plastic is also very popular in the 3D printing market – as it is one of the most widely used materials in this sector along with PLA. It is most often found in FFF 3D printing, though it is also available in resin form allowing for its use in vat polymerization methods. In the following guide we will take a closer look at ABS including its production and properties, 3D printing process, applications, main manufacturers and price. We will be focusing particularly on ABS filaments.

The Production and Characteristics of ABS

ABS was one of the first plastics to be used with industrial 3D printers and was developed around 1990. This thermoplastic polymer is what is called a ‘terpolymer’, defined as a polymer that has been synthesized from three different monomers. In this case, it is obtained most often by polymerization of acrylonitrile and styrene in the presence of polybutadiene – generally 20% acrylonitrile, 25% butadiene and 55% styrene, giving it the name ABS. Furthermore, manipulating these proportions can therefore modify the properties of ABS; styrene, for example, is the element that gives ABS its rigidity and brilliance, while butadiene gives it its impact resistance and low temperature properties.

ABS is a popular plastic in industry thanks to its properties (photo credits: Adreco Plastics)

Something important to keep in mind is that ABS is made out of petroleum in contrast to PLA which is made out of more environmentally friendly materials like corn starch. This has often made it the subject of questions of sustainability in the industry; however it is actually recyclable, if not widely accepted by recycling centers. This could be seen as a benefit in terms of environmental concerns as though PLA is technically biodegradable, this is only actually the case when it’s subject to the correct conditions, giving rise to the question of whether it truly is eco-friendly.