Abs molding composition with improved surface quality for plating applications

A thermoplastic molding composition, comprising components (A), (B), (C) and (D), wherein the thermoplastic molding composition comprises:

• (A) 15 to 44.975 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic molding composition, of at least one graft copolymer (A), consisting of 15 to 60 wt.-% of a graft sheath (A2) and 40 to 85 wt.-% of a graft substrate, an agglomerated butadiene rubber latex, (A1), wherein (A1) and (A2) sum to 100 wt.-% of the graft copolymer (A),
• wherein the graft copolymer (A) is obtained by emulsion polymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile in a weight ratio of 95:5 to 65:35 to obtain the graft sheath (A2), wherein the styrene and/or acrylonitrile may be replaced partially by alpha-methylstyrene, methyl methacrylate, maleic anhydride, or mixtures thereof,
• in the presence of at least one agglomerated butadiene rubber latex (A1) with a median weight particle diameter D50 of 150 to 800 nm,
• wherein the agglomerated rubber latex (A1) is obtained by agglomeration of at least one starting butadiene rubber latex (S-A1) having a median weight particle diameter D50 of equal to or less than 120 nm;
• (B) 55 to 84.975 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic molding composition, of at least one copolymer (B) of styrene and acrylonitrile or of alpha-methylstyrene and acrylonitrile in a weight ratio of 95:5 to 50:50, wherein the styrene, alpha-methylstyrene, and/or acrylonitrile may be replaced partially by methyl methacrylate, maleic anhydride, and/or 4-phenylstyrene,
• wherein the copolymer (B) has a weight average molar mass Mw of 85,000 to 190,000 g/mol;
• (C) 0.015 to 0.40 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic molding composition, of at least one vinylidene fluoride copolymer (C);
• and
• (D) 0.01 to 5 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic molding composition,
• of at least one further additive/processing aid (D), which is different from (C);
• wherein the components (A), (B), (C), and (D) sum to 100 wt.-% of the thermoplastic molding composition.