BP and NOVA Chemicals collaborate to commercialize new 'high-activity' catalysts for gas phase polyethylene processes
Advanced Ziegler-Natta catalysts for BP process to result
BP (BP: LONDON, NYSE, TSE) and NOVA Chemicals Corporation (NCX: NYSE, TSE) today announced an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize NOVA Chemicals’ advanced Ziegler-Natta (Z-N) catalysts for BP’s INNOVENE® gas-phase polyethylene process.
NOVA Chemicals has demonstrated its NOVACAT™ T advanced Z-N catalyst technology in numerous commercial trials, proving it to be a direct and superior replacement for conventional Z-N catalysts in commercial-scale polyethylene production plants. This high-activity catalyst facilitates the production of polyethylene resins with narrow or broad molecular weight distributions and produces significant increases in reactor throughput with only minimal retrofitting cost.
BP’s INNOVENE® technology is one of the leading gas-phase technologies for the manufacture of polyethylene. BP has sold 24 INNOVENE® licenses in 16 countries across the world, with a combined manufacturing capacity of more than four million tons of polyethylene a year.
“We believe this alliance with NOVA Chemicals will lead to the rapid development of advanced gas-phase Ziegler-Natta catalysts and leading-edge polyethylene products,” said Robin McGill, leader of BP’s European polyethylene business. “These developments will further enhance BP’s INNOVENE® technology as a leading gas-phase process for polyethylene production.”
According to Dan Boivin, president of NOVA Chemicals’ Olefins/Polyolefins business, this technology alliance reinforces NOVA Chemicals’ reputation as a leading developer of catalysts for advanced polyethylene products.
Catalysts developed by the alliance will be available globally for licensing.
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