The Clariant Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene white 3D printer filament is an opaque, pigmented thermoplastic monofilament supplied for fused filament fabrication on heated-bed extrusion platforms. The product is compounded on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with a 40:1 length-to-diameter ratio, melt-filtered through a 200 µm screen pack, and drawn to nominal diameters of 1.75 mm or 2.85 mm. Dual-axis laser gauging on the winding line holds average diameter tolerance to ±0.02 mm at 25 °C, with ovality below 0.03 mm. Spools are wound on 52 mm cores at net weights of 750 g or 2.5 kg and are sealed in metallised barrier packaging with desiccant. Residual moisture after packaging is specified below 0.03 % by mass by Karl Fischer titration. The white pigmentation uses rutile titanium dioxide dispersed in an ABS matrix stabilised to limit molecular weight loss during repeated melt processing in the printer hot-end.

For initial machine setup, nozzle temperatures from 230 °C to 250 °C and heated-bed temperatures from 100 °C to 110 °C are appropriate for most enclosed FFF platforms. A direct-drive feeder generally performs with an extrusion multiplier of 0.98 to 1.00, while a Bowden-type feeder may require 1.00 to 1.02. The white pigment increases melt viscosity slightly relative to unpigmented ABS, and the reduced melt flow should be accounted for when switching from a natural ABS profile. A 0.4 mm brass or hardened-steel nozzle is standard; a 0.6 mm nozzle lowers shear residence time and is used where interlayer throughput and adhesion are prioritised.

Mechanical Property Baseline for Lot Acceptance

The values in the following table are representative lot-acceptance ranges measured on conditioned specimens after drying and printing under controlled conditions. Results depend on print orientation, layer height, and chamber thermal history; the table is not a design-value statement for all geometries.

Mechanical response is anisotropic in the printed state. A flat tensile specimen printed in the XY plane with a 0.20 mm layer height retains 85–92 % of the injection-moulded ABS tensile strength, while a vertically printed specimen retains 40–55 %. Interlayer tensile strength across the Z axis is typically 22–26 MPa at a nozzle temperature of 250 °C and chamber temperature of 55 °C, compared with 38–42 MPa in the printed plane. A shell count above 3 and infill above 40 % increase section stiffness, but the interlayer plane remains the limiting fracture path. Increasing the extrusion multiplier above 1.05 does not recover Z-axis strength and may generate die swell that degrades dimensional precision.

Before processing, the filament requires drying if the barrier bag has been open for more than 2 h at relative humidity above 60 %. A forced-air dryer at 80 °C for 4 h is sufficient for spools up to 2.5 kg; vacuum drying at 70 °C reduces the residence time to 3 h. Moisture levels above 0.20 % by mass produce extrusion froth, surface splay, and variable interlayer adhesion. Hydrolysis of residual moisture at 250 °C can reduce printed part tensile strength by 8 % to 12 % relative to dry-filament controls. Drying temperature must not exceed 90 °C because prolonged exposure above that threshold anneals the amorphous structure and may deform filament winding.

What Limits Warpage and Adhesion on Low-Stiffness Build Plates?

Warpage in white ABS is driven by differential shrinkage between the first deposited layers and the upper layers. The linear shrinkage of unfilled ABS filament can range from 0.4 % to 0.8 % in the print direction; the white-pigmented grade typically falls toward the higher end of the band because titanium dioxide particles act as additional nucleation sites during cooling. On an unheated borosilicate glass plate, parts with footprints above 60 mm × 60 mm frequently show corner delamination. A heated bed at 100 °C reduces the temperature gradient between deposited melt and solidified material. An acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile adhesion sheet or a polyetherimide build surface improves first-layer wetting. If an enclosure is not available, reducing layer height from 0.20 mm to 0.12 mm and setting first-layer extrusion width to 130 % of nozzle diameter increases contact area. The first two layers should be printed at or below 30 mm/s, with the next three layers at or below 50 mm/s, to limit residual stress generation before the part reaches a dimensionally stable height.

When Acetone Vapour Smoothing Is Applied to White ABS

Acetone vapour smoothing is compatible with the ABS matrix but alters the surface appearance of the white pigment. At a vapour temperature of 50 °C and exposure of 10 s to 25 s, the outer layer reflows and can reduce surface roughness from approximately 18 µm Ra to 4 µm Ra on a vertical unprocessed wall. The pigment remains dispersed, but gloss changes may shift colour readings by ΔE*ab < 1.5. The smoothed shell is not mechanically identical to the untreated part; published data for this specific configuration is limited, but comparable ABS parts show a 10 % to 20 % reduction in notched impact strength after vapour smoothing. Parts must be degassed for 24 h at 23 °C before mechanical testing or packaging to allow residual acetone to diffuse from the surface. Thin walls below 1.2 mm should not be vapour-smoothed because local solvent uptake can cause buckling. Dichloromethane is not a substitute solvent; faster penetration can initiate stress-cracking in high-residual-stress builds.

White Pigment Dispersion Alters Melt Flow Stability

The rutile titanium dioxide loading lowers melt flow rate relative to natural ABS by 0.5 g/10 min to 1.5 g/10 min at 220 °C/10 kg. At nozzle shear rates of 100 s⁻¹ to 500 s⁻¹, the viscosity shift is less pronounced. High-shear dispersion in compounding is controlled to prevent pigment agglomerates above 20 µm, which would otherwise obstruct a 0.4 mm nozzle. Colour is verified with a spectrophotometer under D65 illumination and 10° observer geometry; the CIELAB b* value is held between 0.0 and 0.8 to limit yellowing from thermal degradation. The grade should not be blended with low-quality recycled ABS unless the recyclate has been tested for ash content and residual flame-retardant fillers, which can raise nozzle wear and reduce interlayer adhesion.

The comparative data in the following table are compiled from publicly reported FFF filament data. Values vary with layer height, print orientation, and machine enclosure.

The Clariant white ABS is used for functional prototypes requiring post-machining, rigid snap-fits, equipment enclosures, and interior jigs that are not exposed to sustained ultraviolet light. The material can be sanded, drilled, tapped, and solvent-bonded. CNC post-machining should employ a single-flute upcut end mill at cutting speeds below 180 m/min to prevent local melting of the machined edge. The material is not graded for direct food contact or medical use; compliance with RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU and REACH Regulation EC 1907/2006 is documented at the resin and pigment level, but ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity data require lot-specific validation. The operational boundary is defined by a dry feedstock, a heated bed, and an enclosed chamber for parts exceeding 120 mm in the largest dimension. Without these controls, corner lifting on a 150 mm footprint part can exceed 0.5 mm, and Z-axis dimensional error can exceed 0.4 %. The material is incompatible with amine-based additives and certain brominated flame retardants during re-compounding, because acidic degradation products may corrode processing equipment and generate localised gas evolution. Printed parts should be annealed only at 70 °C for 30 min; higher temperatures can soften unsupported overhangs.