Sinopec INEOS Styrolution ABS HI-10 is a high-impact acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene injection moulding resin produced within the Sinopec INEOS Styrolution product range. The grade is defined under ISO 1043-1 as ABS and is generally classified according to ISO 2580-1 for injection-moulded test specimens. Public datasheet values place the density at 1.03–1.05 g/cm³ when measured to ISO 1183-1. The material is differentiated from general-purpose ABS by a higher content of dispersed polybutadiene-rich grafted rubber; the exact rubber concentration is not disclosed in ordinary commercial documentation, and published data for this specific formulation remain limited. Property comparisons should therefore be made on the basis of standard specimen preparation at 23±2°C and 50±5% relative humidity. The product is commonly supplied in natural and black variants, and lot-specific colour packages may shift notched impact values by up to 3 kJ/m² when tested to ISO 179-1eA.

Table 1 lists the representative property window reported for this grade family. Values are not design minima and must be confirmed against the supplier’s lot-specific certificate of analysis.

The capillary rheometry response of the unfilled grade, measured to ISO 11443:2021, is shear-thinning. At a melt temperature of 230°C, apparent viscosity typically falls from 250–350 Pa·s at 100 s⁻¹ to 60–100 Pa·s at 5000 s⁻¹. This viscosity window places HI-10 between high-flow ABS grades and higher-molecular-weight ABS grades for thick-wall structural parts. Processors should not use the low-shear value for gate sizing; injection shear rates at the gate commonly exceed 1000 s⁻¹ and may reach 10000 s⁻¹ depending on nozzle diameter and filling speed. For a spiral-flow test tool with 2 mm channel depth and a mould temperature of 25°C, the flow length is typically between 300 mm and 400 mm at 240°C; high-flow ABS grades may exceed 500 mm under identical conditions.

What Separates HI-10 from Lower-Impact and High-Heat ABS Grades?

The commercial position of HI-10 is defined by a trade-off between impact strength, flowability, and thermal resistance. Medium-impact ABS grades frequently show Charpy notched impact values of 14–18 kJ/m² at 23°C and tensile yield stress of 45–50 MPa, whereas HI-10 moves the notched impact interval upward to 28–35 kJ/m² while yielding stress is reduced by 3–7 MPa because of the higher rubber content. At 0°C, medium-impact grades may fall below 8 kJ/m², while HI-10 commonly retains 12–16 kJ/m² in Charpy notched testing to ISO 179-1eA. High-heat ABS grades based on α-methylstyrene, maleimide, or higher acrylonitrile content can exhibit Vicat softening temperatures above 105°C and are preferable when continuous service near 90–100°C is required. The Vicat B50 value of HI-10, near 96–100°C, places it outside that high-heat window. High-flow ABS grades with melt volume-flow rates above 18 cm³/10 min at 220°C/10 kg are easier to fill in wall sections below 1.0 mm, but their notched impact resistance is generally below 20 kJ/m². HI-10 is therefore selected when the application requires a balance of moderate flow, good low-temperature ductility, and standard ABS cost structure.

When compared with polycarbonate-modified ABS alloys, HI-10 has lower notched impact at low temperatures and lower heat deflection under load. PC/ABS blends may reach Charpy notched impact above 45 kJ/m² at 23°C and HDT above 100°C at 1.8 MPa, but those products carry higher density and higher melt temperatures. HI-10 should not be substituted for PC/ABS in applications requiring UL 94 V-0 thickness ratings or structural exposure above 90°C unless prototype testing confirms otherwise.

On a 250-t injection moulding machine with a 64-cavity hot-runner tool, thick-wall appliance housings of 3.0 mm nominal wall showed stable filling when melt temperature was held at 245°C and the hot-runner manifold was set at 240°C. Fill-to-pack switchover by screw position required a cushion of 3–6 mm; lower cushions produced sink marks above the gate area. Field data from similar high-impact ABS grades indicate that batch-to-batch melt volume-flow rate variation is typically below ±1.5 cm³/10 min, but no generic lot guarantee should be substituted for incoming-material rheometry.

Drying before melt processing is mandatory. In controlled-atmosphere plants, a desiccant dryer with a dew point of -30°C or lower and a drying temperature of 80°C for 2–4 h is adequate for material from sealed bags. At ambient relative humidity above 60%, open storage beyond 8 h can raise surface moisture above 0.1%, which is the practical limit for splay-free surface appearance. Drying longer than 6 h or above 85°C risks thermal oxidation of the polybutadiene phase and yellowing. A moisture analyser at 160°C to constant weight should read below 0.05% before start-up.

Injection Moulding Parameter Limits and Residence-Time Control

The recommended barrel profile for a three-zone screw with L/D ratio 20:1–24:1 and compression ratio 2.0:1–2.5:1 is feed zone 180–200°C, compression zone 210–230°C, metering zone 220–250°C, and nozzle 230–250°C. Hydraulic injection pressure is usually 60–100 MPa, with hold pressure from 40–70 MPa. Back pressure should remain in the range 0.5–1.5 MPa to limit shear heating while maintaining melt homogeneity. Screw surface speed is typically 0.1–0.3 m/s, and mould temperature is set from 30°C to 60°C; lower mould temperatures improve cycle time but increase moulded-in stress. For high-gloss surfaces, a mould surface temperature of 50–60°C is preferred because it delays the formation of a frozen skin and improves replication of polished tool surfaces.

Residence time at melt temperature is a critical boundary condition. At 250°C, total barrel residence should remain below 15 min. At 260°C, residence beyond 30 min can reduce notched impact strength by 5–10 kJ/m² and shift the natural colour from off-white to yellow. Screw recovery should be set so that metering time occupies 60–80% of the cooling time. Shot size should remain between 30% and 75% of barrel capacity; very small shots increase residence time, while very large shots reduce plasticating quality. When gas-assisted moulding is required, gas injection pressure must be controlled below 30 MPa to avoid gas breakthrough through the high-impact skin layer. Sequential valve-gated hot-runner systems should operate at the lower melt-temperature range because extended manifold residence intensifies gate blush and heat-history effects.

When High-Humidity Storage Demands Extended Desiccant Drying

In plants where relative humidity exceeds 60%, sealed gaylords and silo hatches should not remain open for more than 30 min during loading. Surface moisture pick-up under those conditions can exceed 0.15% within 8 h on silo walls. The failure mode appears as splay or silver streaking on the part surface, and in severe cases the polybutadiene phase hydrolyses at the melt temperature, reducing notched impact after moulding by 3–6 kJ/m². If moisture is suspected, the material should be dried at 80°C for 4–6 h and rechecked on a moisture analyser. Regrind introduces additional processing variance. If the regrind fraction exceeds 20%, melt volume-flow rate may increase by 1–3 cm³/10 min, and notched impact may decrease by 3–5 kJ/m² because of repeated heat history and polybutadiene crosslinking. Published data for this specific grade at regrind fractions above 20% are limited; production validation is required before increasing regrind beyond that level. Fine-particle accumulation from granulator dust should be kept below 0.5% by mass to prevent feeding instability and burned specks in the melt.

Applications for this material class include vacuum cleaner housings, small-appliance structural bases, automotive interior pillar trims, luggage shells, and power-tool housings. Mold shrinkage measured to ISO 294-4 is typically 0.4–0.7% in-flow and 0.5–0.8% cross-flow. The combination of 28–35 kJ/m² Charpy notched impact at 23°C and Vicat softening near 100°C limits continuous end-use exposure above 80°C unless part-specific heat-soak protocols confirm dimensional and impact retention. For unpainted exterior components, the grade has no inherent long-term UV stabilisation; accelerated weathering to ISO 4892-2 on unmodified ABS can produce Delta E above 10 after 1000 h, so a UV-stabilised variant or coating is required for outdoor exposure exceeding 6 months. The high rubber content also increases sensitivity to ketones, esters, and chlorinated hydrocarbons; contact with these solvents can promote environmental stress cracking before mechanical load limits are reached.

In electroplating operations, the grade’s polybutadiene-rich surface responds to standard chromic-sulphuric acid etch systems at 60–70°C. Etch time must be controlled against peel adhesion rather than visual roughness alone. Peel adhesion should be verified with ASTM B533 or the supplier’s equivalent test; published peel-strength data for HI-10 specifically are limited, and bath conditions should be validated on a first-article basis. The product is not a natural candidate for direct food-contact use. No FDA 21 CFR 177.1020 suitability should be assumed unless the supplier has issued a specific regulatory letter covering the lot and end-use condition. RoHS and REACH conformity can be obtained through lot-specific declarations; these documents describe controlled-substance status and do not provide mechanical, thermal, or weathering performance guarantees.