Materials for Design

ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate)

Plastics are not generally considered to be a group of materials that suffer from degradation; however, as any parent will know, leave a plastic toy outside in the rain, frost or blinding bright sun and you won’t have a shiny, brightly coloured piece of plastic anymore. The surface of many plastics age and fade in colour or display something called environmental stress cracking. ASA, however, is a hardier plastic than most with its main distinguishing factor being its ability to withstand outdoor use. It is this resistance to UV rays that separates it from standard moulding materials like ABS. As a result, it is often used in the automotive industry, where parts don’t need painting and hold their colour without ...