ISO 19062-1:2015 establishes a system of designation for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) moulding and extrusion materials, which may be used as the basis for specifications.

The types of ABS plastic are differentiated from each other by a classification system based on appropriate levels of the designatory properties:

a) Vicat softening temperature;

b) melt mass-flow rate;

c) Charpy notched impact strength;

d) tensile modulus;

and on information about composition, intended application and/or method of processing, important properties, additives, colorants, fillers, and reinforcing materials.

ISO 19062-1:2015 is applicable to all acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene materials consisting of a continuous phase based mainly on copolymers of styrene (and/or alkyl-substituted styrene) and acrylonitrile and a dispersed elastomeric phase based mainly on polybutadiene, plus other components, in such quantities as specified in the text.

It applies to ABS materials ready for normal use in the form of powder, granules, pellets or chips, unmodified or modified by colorants, additives, fillers, etc.

ISO 19062-1:2015 does not apply to materials

a) with a Charpy notched impact strength of less than three kilojoules per square metre,

b) containing less than 50 % by mass of butadiene in the elastomer of the elastomeric phase, and

c) containing less than 15 % by mass of acrylonitrile in the continuous phase.

It is not intended to imply that materials having the same designation give necessarily the same performance. This part of ISO 19062 does not provide engineering data, performance data, or data on processing conditions which may be required to specify a material for a particular application and/or method of processing.

If such additional properties are required, they will be determined in accordance with the test methods specified in ISO 2580‑2, if suitable.

In order to specify a thermoplastic material for a particular application or to ensure reproducible processing, additional requirements may be given in data block 5 (see 3.1).