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I am a designer and I am working on a line of cups printed. Since I am not an expert of 3D Printing, I would like to ask you if the ABS plastic can be used for coffee cups or if it can be a problem to expose it to relative high temperature.

Thanks for your help!

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The temperature shouldn’t be a problem here but ABS is no food grade material. You could try PETG. Sadly PETG is only stable to around 80°C

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ABS can be used to make prototypes, but 3D printed it is not recommended for household usage (food, drink).

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ABS glass transition temperature is around 80-125c A cup of coffee is around 96c ideally when brewed and likely under 80c when served. Both sets of numbers are from quick Google searches. ABS is used in food storage and containers and pretty much everything in existence. There is a debate on injection molded vs 3d printed ABS where many claims are made that A) for some reason injection molded ABS is safe while 3d printed is not and B) that brass nozzles will leach lead into printed ABS which could be toxic. The reason ABS is used so much is that it is strong, cheap and very stable. It’s made of a mixture of toxic chemicals, kinda like table salt, which are non-toxic and stable when bonded. ABS studies show a very low rate of degradation. The lead thing is a bit overboard and can be solved by using a steel vs brass nozzle. To make ABS more food safe and more watertite with the added benefit of getting rid of layer lines and cracks which would normally breed bacteria you can coat the prints, much like clay is clear coated, in an FDA approved 2 part casting resin like amazing clear cast from alumilite or the equivalent product from smooth-on. PETG while being FDA compliant as a material is not generally manufactured to FDA standards when it’s made as a filament for 3d printing. Something that is glossed over a lot. I think you should try it. Just check in the print temperature of the abs you are purchasing and get one with a higher temperature rating. If you want proof of the saftey of the end product just grab some bottled water and pour it in the cup at the temperature of coffee, leave it in the cup for maybe an hour or overnight, then send the water off for a lab test. Water quality tests are pretty cheap $19.95 ish and available at most hardware stores. That would tell you if your product is toxic. Which it really shouldn’t be. *Nothing contained herin is legal or health advice.