Should I use ABS or PC/ABS?

Use ABS for general housings at the lowest cost. Step up to PC/ABS for thin-wall, drop-tested or UL-rated enclosures: it has higher impact strength, especially in the cold, heat deflection of about 200–230 °F (95–110 °C) versus 185–205 °F (85–95 °C) for ABS, and common V-0 flame-retardant grades. Expect about 30–40% higher resin cost.

ABS

PC/ABS blend

By the numbers

Priced on the same representative part: housing, injection molding, 10,000 pcs.

Tensile strengthMPa

ABS

PC/ABS

Densityg/cm³

ABS

1.05

PC/ABS

1.14

Elongation%

ABS

PC/ABS

Raw material cost$/kg

ABS

PC/ABS

ABS, per part

$0.62

All-in $2.36 · 6–9 weeks

Injection molding in ABS

PC/ABS, per part

$0.76

All-in $2.50 · 6–9 weeks

Injection molding in PC/ABS

Which should you pick?

Pick ABS when

Indoor housings have no drop or flame requirement
Lowest resin cost matters
Painted or chrome-plated trim sees light impact
The part is a toy, keycap or general consumer product

Pick PC/ABS when

The part is a laptop, charger or power adapter housing
It must pass drop tests or cold impact
It needs UL 94 V-0 at 0.060 in (1.5 mm) or thinner
Thin walls and long flow lengths would be hard to fill in straight PC

Key differences

	ABS	PC/ABS
Heat deflection	About 185–205 °F (85–95 °C)	About 200–230 °F (95–110 °C), rising with PC content
Cold impact	Drops off in the cold	Holds impact better at low temperature
Flame-retardant grades	UL 94 V-0 grades available	Non-halogenated V-0 grades common in thin walls
Drying before molding	Recommended	Required; wet resin molds brittle, splayed parts
Chemical resistance	Attacked by acetone and many solvents	Sensitive to some cleaners; lower than PC alone
Resin cost	Baseline	About 30–40% more

Questions

Is PC/ABS stronger than ABS?

Yes. Typical tensile strength is about 8,000 psi (55 MPa) versus 6,200 psi (43 MPa), with higher impact strength, especially at low temperature. The gain grows with PC content.

Is PC/ABS flame retardant?

Standard grades are UL 94 HB. Flame-retardant grades rated V-0 at 0.060 in (1.5 mm) or thinner are common for electronics housings; confirm the rating at your wall thickness on the grade's UL listing.

Can PC/ABS be painted or plated?

Yes. It paints well, and plating grades are used for chrome automotive trim. Like ABS, it weathers poorly outdoors without paint or UV stabilization.

Try both on your part.

The builder prices the same geometry in every suitable process and material, with DFM for each.