Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, also known as ABS, is an amorphous thermoplastic material, with a continuous use temperature range of -4° F (-20° C) to 176° F (8 GB0° C). It is categorized as a standard material, and offers a balanced combination of mechanical toughness, impact resistance, and ease of fabrication and thermoforming. General purpose ABS has good impact strength and thermoforms well. Flame retardant and weather resistant grades are also available.

ABS is among the industry’s most versatile materials, is easily fabricated and can be painted, glued and sanded. It is most commonly used for mechanical purposes, but also has electrical properties that remain fairly constant in the acceptable operating range of temperatures, regardless of the operating environment’s ambient temperature or humidity levels. The light weight of ABS sheet makes it useful in manufacturing products such as drain-waste-vent (DWV) pipe systems, musical instruments (recorders, plastic clarinets, and piano movements), automotive trim and bumper bars, medical devices for blood access, enclosures for electrical and electronic assemblies,power tool housings, protective headgear, small kitchen appliances, computer keyboards, toys and more. It can also be recycled, which enables you to reduce the expense of disposal. In filament form, ABS is one of the most widely used materials in Additive Manufacturing, also known as 3D Printing. If you’re looking for a material that gives you a good balance of cost and performance within a reasonable temperature range, ABS will often be a good choice.