Messi Biology states that Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene copolymer (ABS resin), as one of the most widely used engineering plastics, has long permeated numerous fields such as home appliance casings, automotive components, electronic equipment, and construction piping due to its excellent impact resistance, rigidity, and processing fluidity. However, ABS resin has inherent shortcomings: insufficient thermal stability, a tendency to age and become brittle over long-term use, and weak flame retardancy. Particularly in high-temperature processing or complex environments, these issues significantly affect the service life and safety of the products. Magnesium Oxide (MgO), a common inorganic compound, has become a key material for resolving these ABS performance pain points due to its multi-functional adaptability, providing comprehensive support for performance upgrades.
The reason Magnesium Oxide has become the “golden partner” for ABS resin lies in its unique physicochemical advantages. As a white amorphous powder, Magnesium Oxide possesses high dispersibility, excellent thermal stability, and weak alkalinity. It combines reinforcement with synergistic effects, allowing it to blend uniformly with the resin matrix during the ABS processing stage. This ensures that it does not disrupt the material’s molding process while specifically compensating for performance shortcomings. Its core value is concentrated in four dimensions: thermal stability, aging protection, mechanical reinforcement, and flame retardant synergy.
In the production flow of ABS products, Magnesium Oxide functions primarily through compounding. During production, a 2%-5% proportion of Magnesium Oxide powder is fed into a high-speed mixer along with ABS resin, plasticizers, antioxidants, and other raw materials. After high-temperature melt blending, the material is shaped through processes such as injection molding, extrusion, or calendering. This addition method allows the Magnesium Oxide to disperse evenly within the ABS matrix, forming a dual optimization system of “chemical protection + physical reinforcement.”
On the chemical level, the weak alkalinity of Magnesium Oxide can precisely neutralize acidic degradation products (such as styrene monomer decomposition products) generated during the processing or use of ABS. This inhibits molecular chain scission and cross-linking reactions, delaying material aging and embrittlement at the source. Simultaneously, its high thermal stability (with a melting point as high as 2852°C) allows it to absorb local heat during processing, preventing thermal degradation of ABS due to high temperatures and ensuring product molding quality.
On the physical level, Magnesium Oxide particles can fill the voids between ABS resin molecules, improving the structural density of the material. This not only increases mechanical properties such as tensile strength and flexural modulus by 15%-30% but also forms a physical barrier layer. This reduces the permeation of oxygen and harmful substances, further enhancing aging resistance.
Even more noteworthy is that Magnesium Oxide is a highly efficient synergist for ABS flame retardant modification. In flame-retardant ABS products, it works synergistically with halogen or halogen-free flame retardants to promote the formation of a dense char layer during combustion. Through this “char layer barrier effect,” it blocks heat transfer and gas diffusion, significantly improving the material’s flame retardant rating (capable of lifting it from UL94 V-2 to V-0 level) while reducing the amount of flame retardant required, thereby lowering production costs.
Precise control of the addition amount is key to guaranteeing results: when the addition is below 2%, the thermal stability and reinforcement effects are insufficient; when above 5%, it may lead to a decrease in material toughness and poor processing fluidity. ABS products modified with Magnesium Oxide can see an increase in heat deflection temperature of 10-20°C and a service life extended by 2-3 times, all while maintaining good processability and surface texture. As the home appliance, automotive, and electronics industries upgrade their demands for high-performance materials, Magnesium Oxide has become the preferred additive for ABS resin modification due to its environmental friendliness, multi-functionality, and controllable cost. This common inorganic material has not only broken through the performance bottlenecks of ABS but also expanded its application boundaries in high-end fields, providing a material solution for industrial production that combines reliability with economic efficiency.