This document discusses thermoplastics and ABS plastic in particular. Some key points: - Thermoplastics soften when heated and harden when cooled, allowing them to be recycled. - ABS is a common thermoplastic made from acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene monomers. - ABS has good toughness, impact strength, and is easily machined, making it suitable for many applications. - Common uses of ABS include automotive parts, pipes, musical instruments, and toys.

1. A thermoplastic is a material which
becomes soft when heated and hard
when cooled. Thermoplastic materials
can be cooled and heated several times.
They can be recycled.
When thermoplastics are heated, they
melt to a liquid.

2. ABS
 ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is a THERMOPLASTIC RESIN.
 ABS Plastic is a copolymer of ACRYLONITRILE, BUTADIENE, AND STYRENE, and
generally possess medium strength and performance at medium cost.
• ABS plastic is an easily machined, tough, low cost rigid thermoplastic plastic with
high impact strength, ideal for turning, drilling, milling, sawing, die-cutting &
shearing.

3. PROPORTIONS
The proportions can vary
• From 15% to 35% of acrylonitrile,
• From 5% to 30% of butadiene and
• From 40% to 60% of styrene.

4. SYNTHESIS
• Acrylonitrile is a synthetic monomer produced from Propylene and Ammonia.
• Butadiene is a petroleum Hydrocarbon obtained from Butane; and
• Styrene monomers, derived from Coal, are commercially obtained from Benzene
and Ethylene from coal.
• The advantage of ABS is that this material combines the strength and rigidity of
the acrylonitrile and styrene polymers with the toughness of the poly-butadiene
rubber.
• The most amazing mechanical properties of ABS are resistance and toughness.

5. SYNTHESIS RELATED PROPERTIES
• Even though ABS plastics are used largely for mechanical purposes, they also
have good electrical properties that are fairly constant over a wide range of
frequencies.
• These properties are little affected by temperature and atmospheric humidity in
the acceptable operating range of temperatures.
• The final properties will be influenced to some extent by the conditions under
which the material is processed to the final product; for example, moulding at a
high temperature improves the gloss and heat resistance of the product whereas
the highest impact resistance and strength are obtained by moulding at low
temperature.
• Generally ABS would have useful characteristics within a temperature range from
−20 to 80 °C (−4 to 176 °F)

6. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
• ABS polymers are resistant to aqueous acids, alkalis, concentrated hydrochloric
and phosphoric acids, alcohols and animal, vegetable and mineral oils, but they
are swollen by glacial acetic acid, carbon tetrachloride and aromatic
hydrocarbons and are attacked by concentrated sulphuric and nitric acids.
• They are soluble in esters, ketones, ethylene dichloride and acetone.
• Even though ABS plastics are used largely for mechanical purposes, they also
have electrical properties that are fairly constant over a wide range of
frequencies.

7. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
• These properties are little affected by temperature and atmospheric humidity in
the acceptable operating range of temperatures.
• ABS is flammable when it is exposed to high temperatures, such as a wood fire. It
will melt then boil, at which point the vapours burst into intense, hot flames.
• Since pure ABS contains no halogens, its combustion does not typically produce
any persistent organic pollutants, and the most toxic products of its combustion
or pyrolysis are carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide.
• ABS is also damaged by sunlight.

8. FEATURES
• Medium strength
• Tough, hard and rigid
• Good chemical resistance
• Dimensional stability
• Creep resistant
• Electro-platable
• Outstanding formability
• Very high impact strength
• High tensile strength and stiffness
• Excellent high and low temperature performance
• Resistant to many plasticizers
• Excellent ductility
• Low hazard material and presents few risks to health.

9. LIMITATIONS
• Poor weatherability
• Poor solvent resistance
• High smoke generation when burned

10. USES
Light, rigid, moulded products such as
• Piping,
• Musical instruments (most notably recorders and plastic clarinets),
• Golf club heads (used for its good shock absorbance),
• Automotive body parts,
• Wheel covers,
• Enclosures,
• Protective head gear,
• Vballs [reusable paintballs],
• And toys including LEGO bricks.

11. VARIETY
The most common different types of ABS Resin are:
• General Purpose ABS,
• Low Gloss ABS,
• High Gloss ABS,
• High Impact ABS,
• High Flow ABS (Low Viscosity ABS),
• Plateable ABS.
ABS plastics are available as compounds for Injection moulding, Blow moulding, Extrusion,
and calendaring, as sheet for thermoforming or cold forming, and in expandable grades for
foam moulding.

12. BRAND AND TRADE NAMES FOR ABS MATERIAL
• Samsung Starex
• Toray Toyolac
• BASF Terluran
• Sabic Cycolac
• Ineos Lustran
• Formosa Tairilac
• CHI MEI Polylac
• LG ABS

14. POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)
• A polymer made by the catalytic polymerization of Vinyl chloride.
• PVC also includes copolymers that contain at least 50% vinyl chloride.
• The neat homo-polymer is hard, brittle and difficult to process, but it becomes
flexible when plasticized.
• Polyvinyl chloride moulding compounds can be extruded, injection molded,
compression moulded, calendered, and blow moulded to form a huge variety of
products, either rigid or flexible depending on the amount and type of plasticizers
used.

15. POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)
• There are more compounding recipes for PVC than for any other polymer.
• Rigid PVC is strong, difficult to burn, has excellent resistance to strong acids and
bases, to most other chemicals, and to many organic solvents.
• Additionally, polyvinyl chloride is one of the least expensive plastics.

16. POLYVINYLCHLORIDE FABRICATION
• This unique material is glueable and weldable
• Supplied in grey, white, and clear, in sheet, rod, or tubing
• PVC is very machineable and heat bends nicely
• This is a popular material for tanks and fittings
• PVC is commonly used for nuts, bolts, ducts, hoods, and process tanks

17. FEATURES
• General Purpose Flame Retardant
• Good Flexibility Low (to None) Lead Content
• Good UV Resistance
• Ethylene Oxide Sterilizable
• Non-toxic
• Low Gloss
• High Gloss
• Comparatively low cost
• Good resistance to weathering

18. DISADVANTAGES
• Sensitive to UV and oxidative degradation
• Limited thermal capability
• Thermal decomposition evolves HCI
• Higher density than many plastics

19. USES
Typical applications of PVC include;
• Window frames,
• Drainage pipe,
• Water service pipe,
• Medical devices,
• Blood storage bags,
• Cable and wire insulation,
• Resilient flooring,
• Roofing membranes,
• Stationary,
• Automotive interiors and seat coverings, fashion and
• Footwear, packaging, cling film, credit cards, vinyl records, synthetic leather and other coated
fabrics.