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9493543 
Book/Book Chapter 
Acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) polymers 
Kulich, DM; Gaggar, SK; Lowry, V; Stepien, R 
2003 
John Wiley & Sons 
Hoboken, NJ 
Kirk‐Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology 
414-438 
English 
Acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) polymers are composed of elastomer dispersed as a grafted particulate phase in a thermoplastic matrix of styrene and acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN). The presence of SAN grafted onto the elastomeric component, usually polybutadiene or a butadiene copolymer, compatabilizes the rubber with the SAN component. Property advantages provided by this graft terpolymer include excellent toughness, good dimensional stability, good processibility, and chemical resistance. The system is structurally complex. This allows considerable versatility in the tailoring of properties to meet specific product requirements. Consequently, research and development in ABS systems is active. Numerous grades of ABS are available, including new alloys and specialty grades for high heat, flaming-retardant, or static dissipative product requirements. Good chemical resistance combined with the relatively low water absorptivity \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document} (<1\%) results in high resistance to staining agents. Antioxidants substantially improve oxidative stability. Applications involving extended outdoor exposure require the use of stabilizing additives, pigments, and protective coatings. In manufacturing, grafting is achieved by the free-radical copolymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile monomers. The commercial processes for manufacturing ABS are discussed. ABS is sold as an unpigmented product for on-line coloring using color concentrates during molding, or as precolored pellets. ABS can be processed by compression and injection molding, extrusion, calendering, and blow-molding. Post-processing operations include cold forming, painting, and adhesive bonding. As a “bridge” polymer between commodity plastics and higher performance engineering thermoplastics, ABS has become the largest selling engineering thermoplastic. 
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