Nova Chemicals (Calgary, Alberta / Canada; www.novachemicals.com) has announced the roll-out of three new polyethylene butene film resins. The PE supplier said the "Novapol PF-Y818" series resins would help film manufacturers achieve "significant output increases and improved performance" compared to traditional butene LLDPE.

Each of the three resins has the same performance properties, the firm said, but each is made using a different set of additives for the specific needs of film extruders. The resins can be used in a wide range of flexible film applications, including food packaging, stretch films, industrial liners, retail rubbish bags and collation shrink films.

Alan Schrob, Nova’s group market leader, said the company had been able to demonstrate its customers could achieve productivity output gains up to 20% using the new resins. "These gains lead to higher revenue per film line and could allow deferment of capital expenditures on new blown film lines," he added.

Key to productivity gains is the melt strength of the resins, which increases bubble stability on blown film lines, allowing the lines to run faster. The new series’ enhanced melt strength can also allow extruders to simplify structures and blends by reducing or eliminating the need for LDPE. The development and expansion of the PF-Y818 resin series are a result of the customer-centric research and development work at the company’s "Centre for Applied Research" and "Centre for Performance Applications" in Calgary.

In July, Nova announced it had completed its USD 2.1 bn (EUR 1.8 bn) deal to buy from Williams Partners (Tulsa, Oklahoma / USA; www.williams.com) an 88.46% stake in an olefins plant in Geismar, Louisiana / USA – see Plasteurope.com of 18.07.2017.