Introduction: When material selection becomes a core competitiveness

At an automotive electronics factory in Mexico, a batch of ECU casings worth 2.3 million US dollars were all scrapped due to stress cracking in PC+ABS during a high-temperature and high-humidity test at 85 ° C / 85%RH.

This real case reveals that the selection of engineering plastics is no longer merely a cost comparison, but a strategic decision concerning product lifespan, brand reputation and market competitiveness.

As a polymer solutions provider that has served customers in 32 countries, Juyuan will decode the technical boundaries of PC+PBT and PC+ABS from multiple dimensions such as molecular structure, performance, processing compatibility, and market trends, to assist global purchasers in making precise decisions.

01 | Material Genome Map: Essential Differences from Molecular Structure

Material composition

  -PC+PBT: Polycarbonate (PC) + polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), combining the toughness of PC and the chemical resistance of PBT, with outstanding low-temperature impact strength.
  -PC+ABS: Polycarbonate (PC) + acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), it has good processability and excellent appearance, but its chemical resistance is relatively weak.

Thermodynamic behavior

  -PC+PBT: The melting peak is approximately 223℃ (as detected by DSC), with a sharp exothermic curve during crystallization → a mold temperature of 100-120℃ is required to ensure crystallization, and it has strong dimensional stability.
  -PC+ABS: The glass transition temperature is approximately 145℃, with no crystallization peak → the cooling cycle can be shortened by 15-20%, making it suitable for large-scale production.

Chemical resistance matrix

  ・After 30 days of gasoline immersion: The tensile strength retention rate of PC+PBT is 91%, while that of PC+ABS is only 67%.
  ・Sunscreen contact: The critical concentration for stress whitening of PC+ABS is three orders of magnitude higher than that of PC+PBT.

02 | Performance Comparison Analysis

03 | Frontier Applications and Breakthrough Cases

5G antenna cover

  -The South Korean customer originally used PC+ABS and upgraded to a special PC+PBT formula:
       -The dielectric constant is stable at 2.8 (1-40 GHZ).
       -Passed the IPX9K high-pressure steam jet test
       -Core technology: Nano-montmorillonite intercalation modification (available in the white paper)

Sterilization of medical equipment

  -After 50 EO sterilization cycles: The impact strength of PC+ABS decreased by 38%, while that of PC+PBT only dropped by 12%. The crystal region structure has a natural shielding effect on free radicals.

04 | Typical application scenarios

PC+PBT: Automotive exterior parts, engine compartment parts, electrical insulation components, outdoor equipment casings

PC+ABS: Notebook computer casings, home appliance panels, consumer electronics casings, interior automotive interiors

05 | Global Supply Chain and Sustainable Layout

Regional compliance: All PC+ABS batches provide the EU REACH 238 SVHC declarations

Sustainable materials: Asian factory PC+PBT with 30% post-consumer recycled PBT (ISCC PLUS certified)

Emergency inventory: The bonded warehouses in Rotterdam/Houston support replenishment within 72 hours

Multi-channel procurement: Both original factory and alternative grades are available to ensure the best cost and delivery time

06 | Procurement Decision-making Suggestions

Call to Action: Let us be your Materials strategic partner

Contact us immediately to get：

  -Interactive “Engineering Plastic Selection Decision Tree” (includes TCO calculation module)

  -Analysis of competitor product materials (FTIR reverse report samples are available for reference)

  -Replacement Guide (PC+ABS → PC+PBT Progressive Scheme)

  -Free sample testing (10kg sample + complete set of processing parameters)

Juyuan - Your reliable international supplier of plastic raw materials, making material decisions more scientific and efficient.