Which Filament

Materials › ABS

ABS Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

Tough and heat-resistant, and sands and smooths well. Needs an enclosure and good ventilation.

About ABS

Overview

  • The classic engineering plastic for heat and hard use.
  • Needs an enclosed printer and ventilation. On an open printer, use PETG.
  • Outdoors it yellows and cracks, so use ASA instead.

Pros

  • Heat deflection around 95-100 °C, well above PLA and PETG
  • Tough and impact-resistant, and not brittle
  • Sands, drills, and glues easily; acetone vapor smoothing gives a glossy finish
  • Cheap compared with engineering filaments

Cons

  • Warps and cracks without an enclosure, especially on large parts
  • Gives off fumes while printing (styrene). Vent the enclosure to the outdoors; a HEPA filter alone does not remove the gases
  • Degrades in sunlight (yellows and gets brittle); use ASA for outdoors
  • Harder to print than PLA or PETG

Typical settings

Nozzle
230-260 °C
Bed
90-110 °C
Enclosure
Required (a warm chamber of roughly 40-55 °C helps prevent warping)
Drying
70-80 °C for 4-6 h

ABS variants

Results

  • ABS

    Tough, heat-resistant, and easy to sand and smooth. The classic choice for enclosures and hot parts.

    • Functional parts
    • Load-bearing / mechanical

    Nozzle 230-260 °CBed 90-110 °C

    Strength
    4 out of 5
    Heat
    4 out of 5
    Ease
    2 out of 5

  • ABS-CF

    ABS filled with carbon fiber. Stiffer and less warp-prone than plain ABS, with a dry matte look.

    • Functional parts
    • Load-bearing / mechanical

    Nozzle 240-270 °CBed 90-110 °C

    Strength
    4 out of 5
    Heat
    4 out of 5
    Ease
    2 out of 5

Sources

Figures vary by brand and test method; check your filament's datasheet.