NOVA Chemicals Announces Breakthrough Single Site Catalysts for Polyethylene

NOVA Chemicals Ltd. (Calgary, AB) has developed several new classes of non-metallocene, single-site catalysts for polyethlyene and other polymers.

``This is a significant achievement and builds on our recent breakthrough with Advanced Sclairtech technology,'' said Jeff Lipton, NOVA's chief executive officer and president. ``This positions NOVA among the leaders in single site catalyst development and polyethylene process development. We will continue to pursue our role as astute technologists to provide our customers with high performance products and innovative solutions.''

These catalyst families (trade name to be announced later) offer a host of new product advantages when applied to polymer processing technologies, and may be in commercial use as early as next year. The catalysts have been extensively tested at NOVA's Advanced Sclairtech technology demonstration plant in Sarnia, Ontario and Technology vice-president Paul Clark reports that test results were excellent.

``These catalysts not only offer high activity and low catalyst residue, but excellent results in all eight of the typical polyethylene performance measures,'' said Clark. ``When combined with our Advanced SCLAIRTECH technology reactors, we found a superior balance of properties relative to the best catalysts on the market today,'' said Clark. ``I'm particularly pleased that our people were able to develop these powerful and sophisticated catalysts so quickly and at a fraction of the research and development cost of leading single site catalysts.''

NOVA plans to use the new catalysts to produce polymers, but the company also believes there is significant licensing potential for the new technology. Clark says the benefits are expected to reach far beyond conventional polyethylene to other polymers and gas-phase technology platforms.

NOVA Corp. is a publicly traded, focused commodity chemicals company which operates through its wholly owned subsidiary NOVA Chemicals Ltd., and is the sixth largest producer of polyethylene in North America. In addition to producing olefins/polyolefins and styrenics at 12 facilities in the United States and Canada, NOVA also has an equity investment in Methanex Corp. (27%), the world's largest and lowest cost methanol producer, and a 26% equity position in Dynegy Inc., a major North American energy services provider.