The impact behavior of ABS over a range of temperatures

Charpy type tests have been conducted on a typical grade of aerylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) over the temperature range +60 to −80°C. At the higher temperatures, the fractures were fully ductile and have been explained in terms of a constant energy density necessary to produce craze‐whitened material. Below −40°C, the results were analyzed using a linear elastic fracture mechanics approach and values of Gc, the critical strain energy release rate, were obtained. The intermediate temperatures produced partially‐ductile behavior and these data were also analyzed to yield effective values of Gc.