ASA Ultrafuse

One of the materials in BASF’s portfolio of engineering filaments is the Ultrafuse ASA filament. ASA (acrylic styrene acrylate) is a high performance amorphous thermoplastic that resembles ABS a lot on the molecular level and in its mechanical properties since it was developed in the 1970s as an alternative to ABS. The main structural difference is that ASA contains acrylate rubber instead of butadiene rubber as an impact modifier, which gives ASA ten times the UV resistance of ABS, better heat resistance and higher chemical resistance, as well as overall greater resistance to environmental cracking.

Image 1: A ventilation duct 3D printed with the Ultrafuse ASA filament. Source: BASF.

This is precisely the feature that distinguishes ASA - high weathering resistance. It makes ASA ideal for the additive manufacturing of parts that need to be outdoors but not lose their mechanical properties or color/gloss. ASA is widely used in the automotive industry thanks to its resistance to harsh conditions, especially high temperatures and chemicals. It is also a popular material in the manufacturing of outdoor furniture, toys, electrical installations, gutter and drain pipes, or commercial siding for buildings. In 3D printing, ASA is mostly used for general prototyping for parts that need to stand a great amount of impact without breaking.

The Ultrafuse ASA filament is the ideal material for making prototypes but also end use parts with excellent mechanical and thermal behavior. The parts will preserve their dimensional stability, mechanical properties and appearance even in the harshest conditions of use, such as exposure to impacts, cold weather, heat, rain or UV radiation.