# ABS

A tough, glossy terpolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene used for appliance housings, car interiors, electronics and toys; China now dominates capacity.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/

Pseudo-commodities · Engineering plastics · No. 52

- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- about 10 Mt a year of demand (2024, indicative, basis: monomer balances in the styrene, acrylonitrile and butadiene tiles imply 10-12 Mt of ABS and SAN)
- 3.3 t CO₂e per t
- HS 390330
 Pseudo-commodities · Engineering plastics · Foundation · Matter

Your fridge lining, vacuum cleaner and plastic toys share one glossy plastic built from three different monomers.

Chart: Illustration: ABS

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Butadiene is made into a rubber latex, then styrene and acrylonitrile are grafted onto it and blended with SAN. Rubber gives toughness, styrene gloss, acrylonitrile chemical resistance.

##### Three things to know

1. China announced 4.43 Mt a year of new ABS capacity to 2027, about 96% of Asia's additions.
2. Its three monomers make up about 80% of both its cash cost and its footprint of about 3.3 t CO2e per tonne.
3. Burning a tonne of ABS releases about 3.1 t of CO2, so recycling old appliances and electronics matters.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Three monomers**Styrene, acrylonitrile and butadiene
2. 2 **Rubber latex**Butadiene polymerised into tiny particles
3. 3 **Grafting**Styrene and acrylonitrile grafted onto rubber
4. 4 **Compounding**Blended with SAN, 15-30% rubber
5. 5 **Moulding**Pellets moulded into housings, trims, toys
 Covered in [From building blocks to plastics, fibres and detergentsChemicals](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/chemicals/building-blocks-to-polymers/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/links/index.md)