All You Need to Know About ASA for 3D printing

ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) is an amorphous thermoplastic similar to ABS: the main difference is that it is an acrylic elastomer, whereas ABS is a butadiene elastomer. It is found in filament form for FDM / FFF 3D printing. In this guide dedicated to ABS, we’ll focus on its production, properties and possible applications with this thermoplastic. The main manufacturers and pricing will round off our analysis.

Production and Characteristics of ASA

ASA was first marketed by chemist BASF in 1970 under the name Luran® S, and today can be molded, injected or extruded: ASA is increasingly used by people with FDM 3D printers. This thermoplastic is considered a “terpolymer”, meaning that the material is synthesized from three different monomers. It is obtained by polymerizing acrylonitrile, styrene and acrylate. In this case, styrene provides the gloss of the thermoplastic, while acrylonitrile provides chemical resistance, good moisture absorption and dimensional stability. As for acrylate, it enables ASA to withstand high impact.

ASA is suitable for making pieces with greater exposure (Photo credits: Stratasys)

Like ABS, it is manufactured from petroleum and is considered an engineering plastic, as it retains its appearance and impact resistance even under adverse conditions, such as prolonged exposure to air, rain, cold, heat, etc. For this reason, it is often used as an engineering plastic. For this reason, it is often used to manufacture everyday objects that need to be more resistant, such as electrical installations, car parts or even toys. Although ASA is made from petroleum, it can be recycled. What’s more, thermoplastic has a number of characteristics in 3D printing that distinguish it from the main plastics, which are PLA and ABS. Firstly, ABS is very prone to warping, and tends to discolor on contact with harsher environmental conditions. These two disadvantages do not occur with ASA plastic if certain recommendations are followed. It is also much more resistant to UV rays. What’s more, it’s a filament that’s easier to print than PLA and ABS, making it ideal for a number of applications, notably in the automotive industry.