ABS PC plastic is a blend of polycarbonate and ABS melt-compounded into one pellet, with polycarbonate almost always the larger share. Its general-purpose grades resist heat better than ABS, mold at lower temperatures than polycarbonate, and keep more notched toughness at −30 °C than either parent polymer.
The standard designation is PC+ABS; PC/ABS, PC-ABS and ABS/PC are trade spellings of the same material. ISO 1043-1 uses PC+ABS as its example of a polymer blend, a separate category from a copolymer, whose monomers are polymerised into one chain.
What ABS PC Plastic Is Made of
ABS PC plastic is made of polycarbonate and ABS resin melted together in a compounding extruder, with polycarbonate normally the main component and the ratio set grade by grade. Datasheets do not usually print that ratio. A 2016 peer-reviewed study describes the 60/40 PC/ABS blend as highly relevant industrially.
The order of the names on a part marking tells you which polymer is the larger fraction, because the ISO rule names the main component first. Covestro labels one of its electroplating grades, Bayblend T45 PG, as an (ABS+PC) blend because ABS is the larger share there.
Why Polycarbonate Is Blended with ABS
Polycarbonate is blended with ABS to get most of polycarbonate’s heat resistance in a resin that flows and molds more easily, and to gain low-temperature toughness that neither polymer has alone.
Properties of ABS PC Plastic
ABS PC plastic is a tough, opaque engineering resin with heat resistance between ABS and polycarbonate and two weak points: organic solvents and bases, and outdoor sunlight.
Covestro sells its PC+ABS family in opaque colours only. For a part that needs transparency, use polycarbonate.
The density of Covestro’s general-purpose Bayblend T65 XF is 1,130 kg/m³ to ISO 1183-1, while Covestro’s flame-retardant Bayblend FR3010 is 1,180 kg/m³.
PC/ABS paints well, and polyurethane coatings give the best adhesion, though the wrong solvents in a paint system can start stress cracks in a stressed molding. It also takes electroplating, best in grades with a high rubber content, which producers sell as dedicated plating grades.
Read every PC/ABS figure with its grade, test standard, load and temperature beside it. ISO datasheets give notched Izod in kJ/m² and ASTM datasheets give it in J/m, so the two cannot share a column.
PC/ABS needs drying before molding. Covestro specifies dry-air drying for Bayblend T65 XF at 95–110 °C for 4 hours, to a maximum moisture content of 0.02 %, but only 80 °C for its flame-retardant Bayblend FR3010. Take the drying temperature from the sheet of the exact grade.
Impact Strength
ABS PC plastic is highly impact-resistant, and its general-purpose grades keep most of that toughness down to −30 °C. Covestro’s general-purpose Bayblend T65 XF measures 48 kJ/m² notched Izod (ISO 180/A) at 23 °C, and Covestro states that its unreinforced general-purpose grades still break in a ductile manner at −30 °C under multiaxial impact.
Flame-retardant grades lose much more in the cold. Covestro’s flame-retardant Bayblend FR3010 falls to 10 kJ/m² notched Izod (ISO 180/A) at −30 °C.
Heat Resistance
General-purpose ABS PC plastic deflects at around 100 °C under the 1.80 MPa load of ISO 75: Covestro’s Bayblend T65 XF reaches 102 °C at 1.80 MPa and 122 °C at 0.45 MPa. Higher-heat grades exist, and Covestro’s general-purpose range spans 112 to 142 °C Vicat B120.
Flame-retardant grades sit lower, and some fall to ABS level. Chi Mei’s flame-retardant WONDERLOY PC-540 deflects at 83 °C under 1.80 MPa (ISO 75), the same as Chi Mei’s general-purpose POLYLAC PA-757 ABS. Check the heat figure of the exact FR grade before assuming it outperforms ABS.
Chemical Resistance
At room temperature, ABS PC plastic resists water, mineral acids, many organic acids and salt solutions, and it is attacked by bases and by several classes of organic solvent. Aromatics, ketones, esters and chlorinated hydrocarbons swell or dissolve its surface, and bases can degrade it relatively quickly, faster when hot.
PC/ABS tolerates water up to 40 °C. Above that, the polycarbonate phase hydrolyses, so PC/ABS does not suit parts in permanent contact with hot water.
Most chemical failures depend on stress. Brief contact with gasoline only stains the surface, but longer exposure on a stressed part cracks it. Paraffin oil is harmless over long periods, while oils and fats based on fatty-acid esters are more critical.
Flame-retardant grades are the most sensitive. In Covestro’s own disinfectant test, its non-FR PC+ABS grades rated close to its polycarbonate and its flame-retardant PC+ABS grades rated worst. A chemical rating holds only for the agent, strain and temperature tested. Test the finished part.
Weathering
Unpainted ABS PC plastic is a poor choice for parts in direct sun: sunlight changes its colour, and weathering degrades its mechanical properties. For outdoor parts, paint the molding or specify a PC/ASA blend, which is where both Covestro and SABIC place their weather-resistant blend grades.
Flame Retardancy
ABS PC plastic is flame retardant only in its flame-retardant grades: general-purpose grades are rated UL 94 HB, and flame-retardant grades reach V-0. Covestro’s general-purpose Bayblend T65 XF is HB at 0.85 mm, its flame-retardant Bayblend FR3010 is V-0 at 1.5 mm, and its thin-wall Bayblend FR3040 is V-0 from 0.75 mm.
The flame-retardant systems in Covestro’s FR3000 generation and SABIC’s Eco FR CYCOLOY grades are free of chlorine and bromine. A flame-retardant grade loses some heat resistance and much of its low-temperature toughness against a general-purpose grade from the same producer, so specify V-0 only where the part needs it.
How ABS PC Plastic Compares with PC and ABS
General-purpose ABS PC plastic sits between polycarbonate and ABS on heat resistance, room-temperature toughness and density, and beats both on notched toughness at −30 °C. In one producer’s same-method set, deflection temperature under 1.80 MPa (ISO 75) is 128 °C for Chi Mei’s WONDERLITE PC-110 polycarbonate, 102 °C for its WONDERLOY PC-365 PC/ABS and 83 °C for its POLYLAC PA-757 ABS.
The order changes in the cold. Covestro’s general-purpose Makrolon 2405 polycarbonate falls to 14 kJ/m² notched Charpy (ISO 179/1eA) at −30 °C and breaks completely, while Covestro’s Bayblend T65 XF PC/ABS keeps 36 kJ/m² notched Charpy (ISO 179/1eA) at −30 °C.
Whether PC or ABS is the better plastic on its own depends on the part, and our polycarbonate vs ABS comparison covers that choice. On price, quotes come grade by grade and producer by producer. Compare the named PC/ABS grade against the PC or ABS it would replace instead of assuming where it falls between them.
Grades of ABS PC Plastic
PC/ABS is sold in grade families by job, each a separate line within a producer’s brand:
- General-purpose grades: HB-rated injection grades that set the baseline for heat resistance and low-temperature toughness, such as Covestro’s Bayblend T65 XF and SABIC’s CYCOLOY C1200HF.
- Flame-retardant grades: grades rated UL 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm or thinner, for electrical and electronic housings, also sold glass-fibre reinforced or mineral filled.
- High-heat grades: for parts that run hotter than a general-purpose grade allows, such as Covestro’s Bayblend T90 HT and the mineral-filled T95 MF.
- Plating grades: higher-rubber grades for electroplated parts, such as Covestro’s Bayblend T45 PG and T65 PG and SABIC’s CYCOLOY CPV9711.
- Extrusion grades: for profiles and thermoformed sheet, such as Covestro’s Bayblend T65 HI and SABIC’s CYCOLOY MC8002.
- Hydrolysis-resistant grades: for humid or wet service, such as Covestro’s Bayblend FR3008 HR and SABIC’s CYCOLOY XCY620.
- Medical grades: biocompatibility-tested grades, such as Covestro’s Bayblend M750 and SABIC’s CYCOLOY HC1204HF.
Producer documents do not cross-reference competitors’ grades. The equivalence tables on reseller sites are the reseller’s own judgment. Match a substitute on datasheet values measured to the same method and load.
Whether ABS PC plastic is safe for food contact, medical or RoHS-bound use depends on the grade and its certificates. Covestro’s datasheets for Bayblend T65 XF and FR3010 exclude food contact, drinking water, medical devices and toys without Covestro’s written approval, while its medical grades carry ISO 10993 testing and its FR grades meet RoHS.
What ABS PC Plastic Is Used for
ABS PC plastic goes mainly into molded parts that need more heat resistance and cold-impact strength than ABS can give:
- Automotive interior parts: trim, consoles and instrument panel parts.
- Electrical and electronic housings: computer, monitor, charger and power-supply housings, often in chlorine- and bromine-free V-0 grades.
- Medical device housings: biocompatible grades for equipment housings, where the cleaning agents need checking against the grade.
- Plated and painted parts: chrome-plated trim and painted housings in the plating and general-purpose grades.