ABS: Production route
Emulsion or mass: two ways to build a tough plastic
What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.Two process families make most ABS. The emulsion route grafts styrene and acrylonitrile onto a rubber latex and blends the graft with SAN; it gives the widest range of grades and high gloss. The continuous mass (bulk) route dissolves polybutadiene in the monomers and polymerises in one train, with less water and energy and lower cost but a narrower grade range. Specialty variants include transparent MABS (with methyl methacrylate), ASA for outdoor use and PC/ABS blends. Plant economics depend on the spread between ABS and the weighted cost of the three monomers.
Routes compared
| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emulsion grafting plus SAN blending | about 75-80% (indicative) | about 0.58 t styrene, 0.23 t acrylonitrile, 0.19 t butadiene, plus emulsifiers and coagulant (indicative) | 200-900 kt/yr sites; largest single sites over 1 Mt/yr | over 98% on monomers (indicative) | waste water from coagulation; residual monomer recovered | monomer cost about $1,050/t at early-2026 Asian prices plus about $150-250/t conversion (indicative, basis: styrene $1,030/t, acrylonitrile $1,010-1,040/t, butadiene $1,095/t) |
| Continuous mass (bulk) ABS | about 20-25% (indicative) | similar monomer ratio, with butadiene bought as finished polybutadiene rubber (indicative) | 100-300 kt/yr lines | over 98% (indicative) | none material | about $30-60/t lower conversion cost than emulsion (indicative) |
| Specialty styrenics: ASA, MABS and PC/ABS | under 10% of styrenic engineering resin volume (indicative) | varies; PC/ABS typically 50-70% PC (indicative) | 50-200 kt/yr compounding lines | not published | none | premium of several hundred $/t over ABS (indicative) |
How each route works
Emulsion grafting plus SAN blendingButadiene is polymerised in water to a rubber latex. Styrene and acrylonitrile are grafted onto it, the latex is coagulated, washed and dried, and the graft powder is compounded with SAN made by continuous mass polymerisation. Most Asian capacity, including LG Chem and Chimei, uses this route (indicative).
Flexible grades and high gloss; more water, drying energy and effluent.
indicative; feed prices from styrene, acrylonitrile and butadiene tiles Continuous mass (bulk) ABSPolybutadiene or SB rubber is dissolved in styrene and acrylonitrile and polymerised in a series of reactors; unreacted monomer is devolatilised and recycled. Rubber particles form by phase inversion. Used by INEOS Styrolution, Trinseo and some Chinese producers (indicative).
Less water and energy and lower yellowing; lower gloss and limited high-rubber grades.
indicative Specialty styrenics: ASA, MABS and PC/ABSASA swaps butadiene for acrylate rubber to resist UV; MABS adds methyl methacrylate for transparency; PC/ABS blends combine polycarbonate heat resistance with ABS processability for car interiors and electronics.
Higher margins; smaller markets.
indicative Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.