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Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins (ABS) are the largest-volume engineering thermoplastic resin. ABS is a bridge between commodity plastics (e.g., polystyrene) and higher-performance engineering thermoplastics (e.g., polycarbonate). ABS resins are composed mainly of styrene (over 50%) and varying amounts of butadiene and acrylonitrile. The styrene base provides rigidity and ease of processability and acrylonitrile offers chemical resistance and heat stability. The butadiene portion of ABS supplies toughness and impact strength. The composition of ABS resins can vary widely, allowing the production of many different grades which can thus be tailored for different end-use applications.
Large-volume applications for ABS resins include appliance parts (including electrical/electronics) and automotive/transportation uses. Approximately 60% of total world consumption of ABS resins was for these two main end uses. In these markets, ABS competes with specialty thermoplastics such as polycarbonates, as well as with commodity polymers such as polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene resins. Additionally, ABS resins are frequently used in polymer blends, notably with polycarbonate (PC/ABS) for many differing applications.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of ABS resins:
The major producing regions for ABS resins are North America, Western Europe and Asia (including Japan). China, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea represent about 82% of Asian capacity. Taiwan’s Chi Mei Corporation is the world leader in terms of ABS capacity and production.
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