The polybutadiene, a rubbery substance, provides toughness and ductility at low temperatures, at the cost of heat resistance and rigidity.

ABS provides favorable mechanical properties such as impact resistance, toughness, and rigidity when compared with other common polymers.

The impact resistance can be amplified by increasing the proportions of polybutadiene in relation to styrene and also acrylonitrile, although this causes changes in other properties.

[3] Even though ABS plastics are used largely for mechanical purposes, they also have electrical properties that are fairly constant over a wide range of frequencies.

[8] ABS is also damaged by sunlight; this caused one of the most widespread and expensive automobile recalls in US history due to the degradation of the seatbelt release buttons.

[11][12][failed verification] ABS is one of many types of thermoplastic with biomedical applications, with injection-molded components being easy to manufacture for single use.

Adding methyl methacrylate (MMA) helps to bring the refractive indices closer together, making it transparent, although the product has less impact resistance.

According to the European plastic trade association PlasticsEurope, industrial production of 1 kg (2.2 lb) of ABS resin in Europe uses an average of 95.34 MJ (26.48 kW⋅h) and is derived from natural gas and petroleum.

[19] ABS's light weight and ability to be injection molded and extruded make it useful in manufacturing products such as drain-waste-vent (DWV) pipe systems.

Musical instruments such as plastic recorders, oboes, and clarinets, and some parts for piano actions, are commonly made out of ABS, as are computer keyboard keycaps.

[20] Other uses include golf club heads (because of its good shock absorbance), automotive trim components, automotive bumper bars, binoculars and monoculars, inhalers, nebulizers,[21] non-absorbable sutures, tendon prostheses, drug-delivery systems tracheal tubes,[13] enclosures for electrical and electronic assemblies (such as computer cases), protective headgear, whitewater canoes, buffer edging for furniture and joinery panels, luggage and protective carrying cases, pen housings, and small kitchen appliances.

[25] When extruded into a filament, ABS plastic is a common material used in 3D printers,[26] as it is cheap, strong, has high stability and can be post-processed in various ways (sanding, painting, gluing, filling and chemical smoothing).

ABS plastic is also used in the manufacture of the iconic Lamy Safari fountain pen due to its hard and relative strength.