A novel antistatic agent poly(ether-ester-amide) (PEEA) based on caprolactam, polyethylene glycol, and 6-aminocaproic acid was successfully synthesized by melting polycondensation. The structure, thermal properties, and antistatic ability of the copolymer were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyses, and ZC36 megohmmeter. Test results show that PEEA is a block copolymer with a melting point of 217 degrees C and a thermal decomposition temperature of 409 degrees C, together with a surface resistivity of 10(8) Omega/sq. Antistatic poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene) (ABS) materials were prepared by blending different content of PEEA to ABS resin. The antistatic performances, morphology, and mechanical properties were investigated. It is indicated that the surface resistivity of PEEA/ABS blends decrease with the increasing PEEA content, and the excellent antistatic performance is obtained when the antistatic agent is up to 10-15%. The antistatic performance is hardly influenced by water-washing and relative humidity, and a permanent antistatic performance is available. The antistatic mechanism is investigated. The compatibility of the blends was studied by scanning electron microscopy images. The ladder distribution of antistatic agent is formed, and a rich phase of antistatic agent can be found in the surface layer. The elongations at break of the blend are improved with the increasing antistatic agent; the tensile strength and the notched impact strength kept almost the same. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 12-18, 2011