The Polyethylene (PE) Business of NOVA Chemicals Corporation has unveiled the transformed Centre for Performance Applications in Calgary. This facility expands upon the former NOVA Chemicals Technical Centre (NCTC) and is dedicated to PE resin testing and applications development.

With a recently completed new wing, much of it dedicated to customer collaboration, the Centre for Performance Applications serves as a hub for NOVA Chemicals’ experts to support customers in developing higher-value products and applications. The expanded Centre offers industry-leading research and development capabilities for a number of markets, including food packaging, caps and closures and heavy duty sacks.

“The opening of the expanded Centre for Performance Applications is the culmination of tremendous investments, focus and the efforts of numerous people,” says Daryll Harrison, VP, technology, NOVA Chemicals. “Our expanded capabilities allow us to perform product development work and trials that simulate customer manufacturing methods and application performance under real-world conditions – a distinct advantage in our competitive landscape.”

A range of new equipment and upgrades has been installed at the Centre, allowing its applications development experts to perform critical work and even reimagine how PE resins are used. Investments to enhance its flexible films applications development capabilities include an extensive suite of conversion equipment, physical and analytical test lab equipment and more. Conversion capabilities help meet a range of customer trial requirements, from collation shrink to adhesive lamination and vertical form fill seal. In addition, NOVA Chemicals is the only major PE resin producer in North America to have a 9-layer blown film line for rapid multilayer film prototyping in a dedicated development environment.

“The Centre allows us to deliver even greater value to our customers and to the PE market,” says Carrie Richards, marketing director, NOVA Chemicals PE Business. “Our goal is to help our customers succeed. This newly expanded facility enables us to collaborate and innovate to help our customers bring better-designed, better-performing products to market more quickly.”

The Centre for Performance Applications complements the NOVA Chemicals Centre for Applied Research, a research and development facility that focuses on product and process improvements, new resins and breakthrough innovations, also in Calgary. Together, these facilities allow for step-change and pioneering advancements within the PE resin industry.

NOVA Chemicals
(403) 750-3600; www.novachemicals.com