ABS plastic

• Opaque (although there is also a transparent modification - MABS ) material of a yellowish tint. It is painted in various colors.
• Nontoxicity under normal conditions
• Durability in the absence of direct sunlight and ultraviolet ^[3]
• Resistance to alkalis and detergents
• Moisture resistance
• Oil resistance
• Acid resistance
• Heat resistance 103 ° C (up to 113 ° C for retailers)
• Wide range of operating temperatures (from −40 ° C to +90 ° C)
• It is soluble in esters , ketones , 1,2-dichloroethane , acetone , ethyl acetate . ^[3]
• Density 1.02-1.06 g / cm³

Used to make:

• large car parts (dashboards, manual controls, grille )
• cases of large household appliances, radio and television equipment, parts of electric lighting and electronic devices, vacuum cleaners , coffee makers, control panels, telephones , fax machines, computers , monitors , printers , calculators , other household and office equipment
• industrial battery cases
• sports equipment, weapon parts
• boats
• of furniture
• plumbing products
• switches, switches
• stationery
• musical instruments
• desktop accessories
• toys, children's designers
• suitcases , containers
• parts of medical equipment, medical supplies (gamma sterilization)
• smart cards
• as an additive that improves heat resistance and / or improves the processability of PVC- based compositions, impact resistance of polystyrene , which reduces the price of polycarbonates .

ABS is also popular in amateur 3D extrusion printers ( rapid prototyping systems) ^[4] due to its glass transition temperature , which is high enough so that there is no deformation during slight heating in the home, but low enough for safe extrusion using standard tools.

Power Dynamics and Volume

• According to the results of 2006, the production capacity of ABS plastic in the world market reached 8 million tons, while according to the results of this period, consumption was at the level of 72% of the possible production volume. ^[five]
• The average annual growth rate of the global ABS plastic market until 2010 is estimated at 5.5%. ^[five]

Geography

• The global production of ABS plastic until the eighties was concentrated mainly in the United States . Since the mid-1980s, the shift in the global ABS plastic market to Asia began .
• In the mid-2010s, the main world regions of consumption were Asian countries (about 55% China, 7% other Southeast Asian countries), Western Europe (8%) and North America (9%) ^[6] . In Southeast Asia, ABS in many areas displaces high-impact polystyrene .
• In 2012, ABS production capacity was estimated at 9.5 million tons, 80% of the capacity was in Asia. International plastic trade exceeded $ 9 billion ^[7] .

Manufacturers

Currently ^{[ when? ]} There are 48 manufacturers of ABS plastic in the world. The largest of them:

• Chi Mei Corporation, Formosa, Dow, Grand Pacific in Taiwan ;
• LG Chemicals, BASF , Lanxess, Samsung Cheil Industries in the Republic of Korea ;
• Techno Polymer in Japan;
• Dow Chemicals, Polimeri Europe, Ineos in Europe;
• PJSC " Nizhnekamskneftekhim ", OJSC " Plastic " in Russia.

According to the results of 2005, the indicated manufacturers from Taiwan, Korea and Japan own about 74% of the global production of ABS plastic.

In April 2013, the production of ABS plastics with a volume of 60 thousand tons per year was launched on the territory of the association of PJSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim ^[8] in the city of Nizhnekamsk of the Republic of Tatarstan. ABS plastics are also produced by JSC Plastic ^[9] in the city of Uzlovaya, Tula Region.

The real danger that ABS plastic can pose to a person can arise in several cases:

1. Heating (toxic acrylonitrile fumes are formed) of the material during production (casting, extrusion). Closed special boxes with powerful hoods and remote process control are needed. Therefore, it is much safer to refrain from using ABS plastic in the manufacture of prototypes using 3D printing technology. It is best to use a safer PLA plastic ( polylactide ) for this purpose.
2. Use for food, at best, only cold foods (do not heat!). Alcohol is unacceptable - since the substances interact by analogy with heating, and styrene is released.
3. Use when interacting with biomaterial (in medicine).

• Wolfson S.A. ABS plastic // Chemical Encyclopedia: in 5 t / Hl. Ed .: Knunyants I. L. (T. 1-3), Zefirov N. S. (T. 4-5). - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia (T. 1-2); Great Russian Encyclopedia (T. 3-5), 1988-1998. - ISBN 5-85270-008-8 .