ABS Filament

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic filament is a polymer used in 3D printing because it can be molded and engineered. It falls under a family of other plastics known as thermoplastics. These plastics have the ability to become soft and moldable when heated at high temperatures and returning to it's normal solid state when at cooler temperatures, making it an ideal 3D printing filament.

ABS filament is a favorite for 3D printing because it is light weight and durable. It can be injection molded which makes it perfect for 3D printing extruders. It has a high glass transition temperature to reduce deformation but low enough to be safely attainable with 3D printers. ABS filament needs to be printed on a heated bed because the filament will curl upwards of the surface. The heated build platform as well as a smooth flat surface helps reduce the deformation.

ABS filament is a hard strong plastic with some flexibility when compared to PLA filament. It is also soluble in acetone, and it can be easily sanded and machined. It has ideal strength, machinability, and temperature resistance making it a favorite filament among 3D printer users.

Please store ABS filament in a cool dry place. ABS, if exposed to moisture, will bubble and spurt from the extruding nozzle. ABS filament can be dried from a food dehydrator, oven, or from any source of hot air.

ABS Filament Specifications

• **Net weight: 1 kg or 2.2 lbs
• Diameter: +/- 0.05mm
• Roundness: +/- 0.07mm
• Print Temperature: 230 - 250°C
• Heated Bed Temp: 110°C

ABS Filament Colors Types and Sizes

We have 21 normal colors of ABS filament and an additional 9 specialty colors. All 30 color variants come in two sizes.

• 1.75mm ABS filament
• 3mm (2.85mm) ABS filament

The 9 specialty colors of ABS filament can be categorized into the 4 following types.

Conductive ABS filament

Right now there is one color for conductive ABS filament, which is black. The filament can be used for anti-static, dissipative, or the conduction of electric current. Sizes come in 1.75mm ABS and 3mm ABS.

Glow in the dark ABS filament

As the name implies, the glow in the dark ABS filament will shine in the dark. Please allow the filament or print to retain light or charge in regular light first. Currently, we have one color for glow in the dark, which is green. We experimented with glow in the dark blue, but the blue version did not glow brightly. Sizes come in 1.75mm ABS and 3mm ABS.

Fluorescent ABS filament

The fluorescent ABS filament colors will glow under UV light, which is also known as black light. We have four fluorescent colors, which are fluorescent orange, fluorescent green, fluorescent yellow, and fluorescent blue. We did have a fifth fluorescent color which was fluorescent red, but it did not shine brightly under UV light. We renamed fluorescent red to red ruby. Sizes come in 1.75mm ABS and 3mm ABS.

Color change by heat ABS filament

This type of ABS filament (hyper color) will change colors depending on the temperature of the filament. The ABS filaments change color at approximately 31°C (88°F). Below 31°C the filaments are one color; above 31°C the filaments are a different color. Therefore, this ABS filament is heat activated. The easiest way to visualize this change is to simply blow a hair dryer on the filament. We currently have three variants of this type of ABS filament, which are green to yellow, gray to white, and purple to pink. Please see the below video for illustration of the color changing effect. Sizes come in 1.75mm ABS and 3mm ABS.