intake piping ABS vs. PVC

[chris hutchins <chutchin@xxxxxx>]

I've seen alot of talk about PVC not standing up to the heat in an engine
bay. I was thinking about other materials available from places like Home
Depot and came up with ABS (Acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene). The pipe looks
just like the PVC but it's black.

If I am correct, ABS plastic is used extensively in automotive applications
(not sure about under-hood). I do know that things such as aftermarket
gauge housings and the like use it.

I suspect it would work. My Intro to Materials Science & Engineering text
indicates that ABS is resistant to heat distortion while PVC is not. Also
the BASF web site seems to indicate that heat deflection and softening
temperatures are in excess of 200 deg. F. 

Keep in mind that further research should probably be done before trying
this out, and also that I'm not an engineer... yet. 

Chris Hutchins
chutchin@domain.elided

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