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Engineering Plastic

PC/ABS Blend

PC/ABS blends the impact strength and heat resistance of polycarbonate with the processability and lower cost of ABS. At about 55 MPa tensile, 80% elongation, and a 95 C service temperature, it gives tough, dimensionally stable housings that mold cleanly, which is why it dominates automotive interiors and electronics enclosures.

How PC/ABS Blend machines

Rated 3.5/5. It machines reasonably with sharp tooling and good chip evacuation, cutting more cleanly than pure PC. As with all amorphous thermoplastics, manage heat to prevent melting and gumming, and relieve molded-in stress to avoid crazing or cracking at machined edges.

Manufacturing & processing

Primarily injection molded, with CNC from stock for prototypes and low volumes. The blend ratio tunes the balance: more PC raises impact and heat resistance, more ABS improves flow and cost. It paints, plates, and ultrasonically welds well for finished consumer products.

Typical applications

Automotive interior trim, instrument panels, and pillars; laptop, monitor, and printer housings; mobile and electronics enclosures; and appliance parts. It is favored wherever a part must survive impact and warmth while looking finished and assembling reliably at scale.

When to choose it

Choose PC/ABS when ABS alone lacks heat or impact resistance but full polycarbonate costs too much or molds too stiffly. If you need maximum impact and optical clarity, use straight PC; if cost is paramount and conditions mild, plain ABS suffices. The blend is the practical middle ground.

Suitable surface finishes

Common finishes for PC/ABS Blend: bead blasting, powder coating. Use the finish selector →

FAQ

Why blend PC with ABS instead of using one alone?
Pure PC has excellent impact and heat resistance but is costly and harder to mold; ABS molds easily and cheaply but softens and impacts poorly by comparison. Blending captures most of PC's toughness and heat tolerance with ABS's flow and economy, yielding a balanced, manufacturable engineering plastic.
What temperature can PC/ABS withstand?
Its service temperature is around 95 C, between ABS at roughly 80 C and polycarbonate at about 120 C. That makes it suitable for warm automotive interiors and electronics that generate heat, but not for sustained high-temperature service, where PC, PEI, or a higher-grade engineering plastic is needed.
Does the PC-to-ABS ratio matter?
Yes. Higher polycarbonate content raises impact strength, heat resistance, and stiffness; higher ABS content improves melt flow, surface finish, and cost. Grades are formulated across this range, so specify based on whether your priority is performance or processability and economy for the part.

Property values are typical/nominal for early guidance and vary by temper, grade, supplier and heat treatment. Confirm critical specs against a certified datasheet or with an mfgiq engineer.