# ABS: Overview

From fridge liners to car dashboards and toys

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

What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.

ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) is made by grafting styrene and acrylonitrile onto polybutadiene rubber and blending the result with SAN copolymer. The rubber gives impact strength, styrene gives gloss and easy moulding, and acrylonitrile gives chemical resistance. World demand is about 10 Mt a year (2024, indicative). China announced 4.43 Mt/yr of new ABS capacity to 2027, 96% of Asia's additions (GlobalData, Oct 2023). Almost all of the carbon footprint comes from its three petrochemical monomers, so cleaner ABS depends on recycling and on low-carbon styrene.
 Volume 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) Market value about $13-15 billion (2024, indicative, basis: 10 Mt x $1,300-1,500/t) Growth about 3-4% a year to 2030 (indicative); capacity is growing faster, led by China GlobalData, Oct 2023 (China additions); styrene, acrylonitrile and butadiene tiles (monomer shares); volume and value indicative

#### Key uses

| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Household appliances** | 30% | about 3.0 Mtbasis | Refrigerator liners, washing machine panels, vacuum cleaners and small appliances need a stiff, glossy, impact-resistant plastic that moulds fast and takes colour well. ABS does this at lower cost than polycarbonate. China's appliance industry is the single largest buyer. indicative share, industry estimates | HIPS (high-impact polystyrene) polypropylene compounds |
| **Electrical, electronics and office equipment** | 25% | about 2.5 Mtbasis | Computer, TV, printer and phone-charger housings use ABS or PC/ABS blends for surface finish, dimensional stability and flame-retardant grades. indicative share, industry estimates | PC/ABS blends HIPS modified PPE |
| **Automotive interior and exterior parts** | 18% | about 1.8 Mtbasis | Dashboards, consoles, grilles, mirror housings and chrome-plated trim use ABS because it can be electroplated and painted and holds shape at moderate heat. indicative share, industry estimates | talc-filled polypropylene PC/ABS ASA for outdoor parts |
| **Consumer goods and toys** | 12% | about 1.2 Mtbasis | Toy bricks, luggage, helmets and sporting goods need toughness and precise moulding tolerances. LEGO bricks are the best-known example. indicative share, industry estimates | polypropylene bio-based and recycled ABS |
| **Pipes, fittings and construction** | 5% | about 0.5 Mtbasis | Drain, waste and vent pipe in North America and sanitary parts use ABS for impact resistance at low temperatures. indicative share, industry estimates | PVC HDPE |
| **Other (3D printing filament, medical devices, specialty SAN uses)** | 10% | about 1.0 Mtbasis | ABS is one of the two standard filaments in desktop 3D printing and is used in medical device housings. indicative share | PLA PETG |

 Shares are indicative global splits from industry reviews, applied to an indicative 10 Mt of demand. China accounted for 58% of global ABS demand in 2018 (ICIS, via styrene tile).

#### From raw material to user

1. **Monomers** About 0.55-0.60 t styrene, 0.20-0.25 t acrylonitrile and 0.15-0.20 t butadiene per t ABS (indicative, typical general-purpose grade).
2. **Polybutadiene rubber latex** Butadiene is emulsion-polymerised to a rubber latex with particles of about 0.1-0.5 micron (indicative).
3. **Grafting** Styrene and acrylonitrile are grafted onto the rubber particles, then coagulated and dried to a graft powder.
4. **Compounding with SAN** The graft is extruded with separately made SAN copolymer; rubber content of about 15-30% sets the impact grade (indicative).
5. **Moulding** Pellets are sold in 25 kg bags or 1 t bulk bags to injection moulders and extruders.

#### Made from (commodity table)
[Oil Crude oil](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/crude_oil/)

#### Three things to know

- China announced 4.43 Mt/yr of new ABS capacity to 2027, about 96% of Asia's additions, including a single 1.2 Mt/yr plant at Zhejiang Petrochemical (GlobalData, Oct 2023).
- Monomers are about 80% of ABS cash cost and about 80% of its carbon footprint of about 3.3 t CO2e per t (derived, indicative).
- Burning one tonne of ABS releases about 3.1 t of CO2 from its carbon content, so recycling appliance and electronics plastic is the main climate lever (calculated).

#### Read the tabs
[Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/routes/)[Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/production/)[Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/feedstocks/)[Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/cycles/)[Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/trading/)[Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/movement/)[Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/regulation/)[Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/characteristics/)[Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/emissions/)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/abs/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)