MDE Plastics manufactures ABS capped with ASA plastic sheet, suitable for a variety of applications, such as thermoforming plastic outer covers. ABS over ASA sheet is a composite sheet made of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Copolymer) and ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate Copolymer). ABS over ASA is a composite material that combines the advantages of both ABS and ASA.
ABS over ASA sheet material structure and characteristics
Structural Basis: ABS is a terpolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene, while ASA is a graft copolymer of acrylate rubber body with acrylonitrile and styrene. In ABS over ASA material, ABS is usually used as the base material, and the surface is covered with a layer of ASA material through a certain process.
Performance characteristics: This composite material retains the good overall performance of ABS, such as excellent impact strength, good low-temperature performance, good abrasion resistance and dimensional stability, etc., but also has the ASA excellent weathering, color stability and chemical resistance.
Advantages of ABS over ASA sheet
Enhanced weather resistance:
The weather resistance of ASA is about 10 times higher than that of ABS, and its special chemical structure makes it resistant to the erosion of natural factors such as ultraviolet rays, oxidation and moisture, so that it is not easy to yellow, brittle, and color fading when exposed to the outdoor environment for a long time.
Therefore, the products made of ABS covered with ASA material have longer service life and better appearance retention when used outdoors, and are suitable for building exterior wall panels, roof tiles, outdoor furniture, automotive exterior parts, and other areas with high requirements for
weather resistance.
Good mechanical properties: ABS itself has high impact strength and rigidity, and ASA composite, the overall mechanical properties of the material has been further improved to withstand greater external forces and impacts, not easy to deform or damage.
Colorful and long-lasting:
ASA has good coloring and color stability, can be made into a variety of brightly colored products, and the color is not easy to fade in the long-term use of the process, to meet the personalized needs of different users of the color of the product appearance, but also for the design and decoration of the product to provide more options.
Excellent processing performance:
ABS and ASA have good processing performance, easy to mold, cut, weld and other processing operations, can be made into a variety of complex shapes, improve production efficiency, reduce production costs, suitable for large-scale industrialized production.
Better environmental performance:
ABS and ASA materials can be recycled and reused, in line with environmental requirements, reducing pollution of the environment. After the product is discarded, it can be recycled to realize the recycling of resources and reduce the consumption of natural resources.
ABS over ASA sheet production method
Co-extrusion molding: This is a common production method, the ABS and ASA two materials are heated to a molten state, and then through the co-extrusion die extrusion at the same time, so that the ASA material evenly covered in the surface of the ABS substrate, forming a layer of tightly bonded composite layer.
The co-extrusion molding process can precisely control the thickness and uniformity of the composite layer, with high production efficiency and stable product quality.
ABS over ASA sheet application areas
Automotive
Exterior decorative parts: can be used to manufacture automobile bumpers, mirror shells, side skirts, radiator grills, tailgates, exterior mirrors and other parts, its excellent weather resistance and mechanical properties, can withstand the erosion of the outdoor environment and the impact of external forces, while maintaining a good appearance.
Interior Decorative Parts: Suitable for automotive interior parts, such as dashboards, door panels, armrests, glove boxes, etc., providing good decorative effect and durability.
Construction field
Exterior Decoration: It can be processed into exterior decorative panels for commercial buildings, residential buildings, etc. Its rich color options and long-term weather resistance can enhance the aesthetics and durability of the building and reduce maintenance costs.
Roofing panels: ASA coated ABS panels have good waterproof and weatherability, suitable for manufacturing roofing panels, which can resist the erosion of wind and rain for a long time and prolong the service life of the roof.
Balcony panels: In outdoor balcony applications, the panels are able to withstand certain loads while resisting UV rays and climate change, maintaining good usability and appearance.
Door and window profiles: can be used to manufacture frames and profiles for doors and windows, providing better strength, heat preservation and weather resistance, so that the doors and windows are not easy to be deformed and faded in the process of long-term use.
Outdoor Furniture Field
Park benches: able to withstand the test of the outdoor environment, not easy to damage, fading, to provide people with comfortable, durable rest facilities.
Outdoor tables and chairs: its good weather resistance and mechanical properties, making it suitable for making a variety of outdoor tables and chairs to meet the needs of people in the outdoor leisure, dining and so on.
Sunshade: It can be used to make the umbrella bone and umbrella surface, resisting ultraviolet radiation and wind and rain erosion, prolonging the service life of the sunshade.
Electronic and electrical field
Equipment shell: can be used for the manufacture of electronic equipment shell, such as sewing machines, telephone, kitchen equipment, satellite dishes, etc. All-weather shell, its anti-static properties help reduce the impact of dust on electronic components to ensure the normal operation of the equipment.
Shield: Provide protection for electronic components or electrical equipment from the external environment, such as dust, moisture, ultraviolet rays.
Other fields
Sports equipment: such as surfboards and other sports equipment, the use of its weather resistance and strength, can maintain good performance and service life in outdoor water sports.
Horticultural products: suitable for the manufacture of horticultural irrigation equipment, lawn cutter shells and other horticultural products, resistance to outdoor environmental erosion and mechanical abrasion.
Advertising display frame: can be processed into a variety of advertising display frame, used for outdoor advertising, its good color stability and weather resistance, can maintain the display effect of advertising for a long time.
Transportation facilities: such as street light covers and other transportation facilities, can provide good optical properties and weather resistance, to ensure long-term use in outdoor environments.
Luggage: It can be used to manufacture the shell of luggage, providing good strength and aesthetics, while resisting the collision and friction during the travel process.
Comparison of Chemical and Physical Properties of ABS and ASA
| Properties | ABS | ASA |
| Chemical Properties | ||
| Corrosion Resistance | It has certain tolerance to dilute acids and alkalis, but will be eroded by strong oxidants such as concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid. It will produce stress cracking when eroded by glacial acetic acid, vegetable oil, etc. | It can resist the action of saturated hydrocarbons, low-aromatic gasoline and lubricating oil, vegetable oil and animal oil, water, aqueous salt solution, dilute acid and dilute alkali, etc. But it is easily eroded by concentrated inorganic acids, aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, esters, ethers, ketones and some alcohols. |
| Solvent Resistance | It is insoluble in most alcohols and hydrocarbon solvents, but easily soluble in aldehydes, ketones, esters and some chlorinated hydrocarbons and other organic solvents. | It is easily eroded by concentrated inorganic acids, aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, esters, ethers, ketones and some alcohols. |
| Stability | Its chemical properties are relatively stable at room temperature, but its properties may change under the long-term action of high temperature, high humidity or ultraviolet light, etc. | It has good chemical stability and can resist aging and degradation caused by factors such as ultraviolet light, oxygen, and moisture, and has a long service life. |
| Physical Properties | ||
| Appearance and Morphology | It is generally light yellow granular or bead-like opaque resin. | It is generally colorless or slightly yellow transparent granular resin. |
| Density | About 1.03 – 1.14 g/ml | About 1.05 – 1.07 g/cm³ |
| Thermal Properties Heat Deflection Temperature (Under 0.45MPa Load) | 88℃ – 107℃ | About 106°C |
| Thermal Properties Heat Deflection Temperature (Under 1.8MPa Load) | 71℃ – 103℃ | About 103°C |
| Thermal Properties Vicat Softening Temperature | / | 104°C – 113°C |
| Thermal Properties Linear Thermal Expansion Coefficient | About 2.0 – 10.3×10⁻⁵ cm/(cm·℃) | About 8.0×10⁻⁵ – 1.1×10⁻⁴ cm/cm/°C |
| Mechanical Properties Rigidity and Hardness Flexural Modulus | 1550 – 2580 MPa | 1516 – 2500 MPa |
| Mechanical Properties Rigidity and Hardness Rockwell Hardness | R102 – R104 | About 85 MPa |
| Mechanical Properties Impact Strength (at 23°C) | It has good notched Izod impact strength at 23°C and still maintains good toughness in low temperature environment. | The notched Izod impact strength can reach 20 kJ/m² at 23°C, and still has 4 kJ/m² at -30°C. |
| Mechanical Properties Tensile Strength | The yield tensile strength is 28 MPa – 120 MPa, and the elongation at break is 10% – 50%. | The yield tensile strength is about 54 MPa, and the elongation at break is 25% – 40%. |
| Electrical Properties | Dielectric constant is 2.7 – 3.4, dielectric strength is 15.7 – 34 kV/mm, and volume resistivity is high, up to 14 – 16×10¹⁵ Ω·cm. | It has good electrical insulation performance and high volume resistivity. |
| Processing Properties | It has good processing performance, is easy to be molded, cut, welded, bonded, etc. The molding shrinkage is 0.4% – 0.9%, and it can be made into various complex shapes by various molding processes. | It has excellent processing performance, the molding shrinkage is 0.4% – 0.9%, and it can be made into various complex shapes by injection molding, extrusion molding, blow molding and other molding processes. |
| Surface Properties | It has good surface gloss and appearance quality, and can be subjected to coating, printing, electroplating and other surface treatments. | It has good surface quality, good color stability and gloss, is not easy to be contaminated by dust, and the color is durable and stable. |
ABS capped ASA plastic sheet material combines both the excellence of their features and has more and more applications.