Lotte Chemical Starex ABS TE-1040 is a pelletised acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer supplied as an extrusion-grade resin for sheet production and subsequent thermoforming. The grade is specified where the manufacturing line requires a combination of moderate melt flow, high melt strength, specified low-temperature impact resistance, and sufficient rigidity for handling and assembly. In typical downstream use it is selected for refrigerator liner sheet, sanitary products, luggage shells, and painted or laminated automotive interior parts. The following sections define typical property ranges, processing limits, and the boundary conditions that differentiate TE-1040 from high-flow injection grades, high-heat ABS, flame-retardant ABS, and weather-resistant styrenics.

Technical Specifications and Standardised Property Data

Typical property ranges reported for this grade under standardised test methods are listed in the table. The values are compiled from supplier technical data and are not lot-specific specifications; converters should request the current certificate of analysis for production-grade material. The tensile stress at yield, flexural modulus, and notched impact values reflect the styrene-acrylonitrile matrix reinforced by a discrete polybutadiene rubber phase. Because ABS is viscoelastic, the reported mechanical values are rate- and temperature-dependent; therefore the test speed and specimen conditioning state are included in the method designations.

The melt mass-flow rate range of 4 g/10 min to 8 g/10 min under ISO 1133-1:2022 conditions of 220 °C and 10 kg places TE-1040 in the extrusion-grade band. High-flow injection ABS grades typically exceed 20 g/10 min under equivalent conditions. The lower melt-flow rate corresponds to higher average molecular weight, which increases melt tension during sheet haul-off but raises extruder head pressure. This viscosity-positioning is the central control parameter for sheet thickness uniformity.

Why Does Sheet Extrusion Demand a Narrow Melt-Viscosity Window?

In sheet extrusion, the melt curtain between the flat die and the polishing roll stack is unsupported for a short distance. Melt strength must be sufficient to resist drawdown and lateral neck-in while the sheet is pulled to final thickness. If melt temperature is raised beyond the recommended window, the viscosity of the ABS melt declines, sag increases, and thickness control deteriorates. If melt temperature is too low, the polymer does not pack the die uniformly, causing flow lines and gloss differential. The processing window is therefore narrow; melt-temperature deviations above ±5 °C at the die lip can shift gauge profile because the viscosity curve is steep in this range. A melt pump and gravimetric feeding are commonly used to reduce pressure pulses and maintain uniform die delivery.

The rubber phase contributes shear-thinning behaviour. Under typical sheet extrusion shear rates of 10 s⁻¹ to 1000 s⁻¹ in the die, TE-1040 maintains sufficient viscosity for melt-bank stability on the roll stack. The polybutadiene particles also provide stress whitening and impact absorption after forming; however, the same unsaturated phase limits thermal stability. Residence time at melt temperatures above 240 °C should remain below 10 min to avoid rubber-phase crosslinking, gel speck formation, and yellowing. This temperature sensitivity is the primary reason that TE-1040 is not recommended for high-temperature processing where melt temperatures exceed 250 °C.

Moisture control is the first boundary condition in sheet extrusion. ABS pellets can retain surface moisture, and at processing temperatures water produces splay, surface pitting, and reduced melt strength. The feed stock should be dried to a maximum moisture content of 0.05 wt% before entering the extruder. Desiccant wheel dryers with a dew point of -30 °C or lower are specified, with inlet air temperature between 80 °C and 85 °C. Drying time for sealed virgin material is 2 h to 4 h; if warehouse relative humidity has exceeded 60 %, drying time should be extended to at least 4 h and verified by loss-in-weight or Karl Fischer moisture balance. Hopper dryers alone are insufficient for rework or cold-start conditions because they cannot provide the required dew-point control. Drying temperatures above 90 °C are not recommended because pellet surface tack and bridge formation can occur in the hopper.

Processing Parameters, Drying Boundaries, and Line-Scale Observations

On a vented single-screw extruder with L/D ratio between 24:1 and 32:1, a compression ratio of 2.5:1 to 3.0:1, and a barrier flight section, typical barrel set points are 180 °C to 200 °C at the feed section, 200 °C to 220 °C in the compression section, and 210 °C to 230 °C in the metering section. Flat-die temperatures are maintained at 210 °C to 230 °C, while the polish roll stack is operated between 70 °C and 90 °C. Roll temperatures below 70 °C can chill the sheet surface too rapidly and reduce profile repeatability; roll temperatures above 90 °C can cause sticking or surface haze if the sheet is not adequately conditioned.

Sheet thickness is controlled by roll gap and melt bank. The roll nip gap is typically set 10 % to 15 % below the target final thickness to create a small rolling melt bank. Excessive bank size increases orientation and edge bead; insufficient bank size produces trapped air and surface pitting. Line speed must be matched to output so that die drool and edge curl are not introduced. A screen pack with mesh sequence 60/80/100 is often used to remove carbonised gels; pressure drop across the screen pack should be monitored, and replacement is indicated when head pressure rises by 15 % to 20 % from the clean condition.

Thermoforming of TE-1040 sheet is performed at sheet surface temperatures near 140 °C to 170 °C. The formability window is influenced by sheet thickness, moisture content, and orientation. Deep-draw parts require plug-assisted forming with heated plug temperature close to 120 °C to avoid premature chilling. Multilayer capstock structures may require separate drying and melt-temperature profiles; published data for this specific configuration is limited, so coextrusion line trials are necessary.

When High Impact Strength at Low Temperature Overrides Flowability

Grade selection often requires a trade-off between flow and toughness. TE-1040 is positioned for applications in which low-temperature impact resistance and thermoformability take precedence over thin-wall injection flow. In comparison with high-flow ABS injection grades, TE-1040 exhibits lower melt mass-flow rate and higher melt strength, which reduces sheet sag and edge tear during roll-stack extrusion but increases cycle time and fill pressure if substituted into injection-molded parts. The notched impact values shown in the table remain within the extrusion-grade range; however, impact strength decreases with thickness, processing orientation, and service temperature. For freezer-grade refrigerator liners, low-temperature ductility is controlled by the polybutadiene particle size distribution and rubber crosslink density, not by the styrene-acrylonitrile molecular weight alone.

Relative to high-heat ABS grades that use alpha-methylstyrene or imide modification, TE-1040 has a lower heat deflection temperature. Continuous service above 85 °C is not specified unless the mechanical load is low and the part is adequately supported. Flame-retardant ABS grades containing brominated or phosphorus additives may be required for electrical enclosures; TE-1040 is not flame-retardant and is typically rated UL 94 HB at thicknesses commonly used in sheet. Weather-resistant styrenics such as ASA or AES replace the polybutadiene rubber with acrylic or EPDM rubber to reduce UV oxidation; unpainted outdoor service of TE-1040 is not recommended because the unsaturation in the polybutadiene phase leads to chalking and loss of surface gloss.

Typical application contexts for TE-1040 are extruded sheet for refrigerator cabinet liners and door liners, thermoformed sanitary bathware, luggage shells, and painted or laminated automotive interior panels. In such uses the surface finish is governed by the roll stack, the rubber particle size, and the thermoforming draft design. The unfilled ABS chemistry permits assessment under EU 10/2011 for specific food-contact articles; compliance must be tested on the final article because migration behaviour changes with layer structure, regrind content, and processing history. RoHS compliance under Directive 2011/65/EU should be verified against the supplier’s lot documentation, particularly for cadmium, lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium. No halogenated flame-retardant additives are used; however, converters must verify the final compound for any application-specific cleaning or coating step.