Why was ABS the king of 3D printing?
Nowadays, when the world of hobby 3D printing is dominated by easily printable PLA, it’s easy to forget the material that stood at the birth of this revolution. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, better known by its acronym ABS, was for many years the uncrowned king and the material of choice for anyone who needed to print something more than just a nice figurine.
It’s a material you encounter every day – from LEGO bricks and automotive parts to electronics casings. Although its printing is more challenging, its unique properties still make it an indispensable tool for functional prototypes and durable mechanical parts.
In this first part of our series, we’ll look at what ABS is, what its key properties are, and why it’s still worth paying attention to today.
What is ABS? An industrial standard on your desk
ABS is a thermoplastic polymer created by combining three different monomers: acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene. Each of these components imparts specific properties:
- Acrylonitrile provides chemical and thermal resistance.
- Butadiene (synthetic rubber) ensures toughness and impact resistance.
- Styrene provides strength, rigidity, and a glossy surface.
Thanks to this combination, ABS has become one of the most widely used plastics in injection molding, a technology by which the vast majority of plastic products around us are manufactured. Its arrival in the world of 3D printing was therefore a logical step, enabling engineers and designers to create prototypes from the same material from which the final products would later be made.
For a deeper comparison with other materials, you can read The Grand Guide to 3D Printing Materials.
Key Properties of ABS: Strength that endures
The main reasons why ABS still remains prominent are its excellent mechanical and thermal properties, which significantly surpass common PLA.
Strength and Toughness
ABS is known for its high strength and, above all, impact toughness. Unlike PLA, which is rigid but brittle, ABS can absorb energy from impacts and will rather bend than shatter. This is precisely why it’s used to manufacture bicycle helmets, car bumpers, or protective casings.
For 3D printing, this means one thing: if you need a part that will be mechanically stressed, exposed to drops, or vibrations, ABS is a reliable choice.
Temperature Resistance
This is one of the biggest advantages over PLA. While PLA parts begin to deform at temperatures around 60 °C, ABS maintains its shape and strength up to temperatures approaching 100 °C.
This makes it suitable for use in higher-temperature environments, such as car interiors, electronics enclosures, or machine components that heat up during operation.
Surface Finish Options
A unique property of ABS is its solubility in acetone. This opens the door to a technique called chemical smoothing, where acetone vapors can slightly etch the surface of the print and perfectly smooth out visible layers. The result is a smooth, glossy surface that resembles an injection-molded product.
Additionally, ABS is very easy to sand, fill, and paint, making it an ideal material for creating visually perfect prototypes and models. This aspect is so important that we will dedicate a separate article to it.
In this introductory part, we’ve presented ABS as a material with a rich history and excellent properties. However, its strength and durability come at the cost of higher printing difficulty.
In the next part, we will focus on the practical side of things: how to tame ABS printing, how to prevent common problems like warping, and what hardware equipment and settings are crucial for success.
