Heerlen, NL, 26-March-2007
DSM Elastomers, a business group of Royal DSM N.V., today announced that in
2008 it will start producing specialty EP(D)M’s based on a worldwide exclusive
license agreement with NOVA Chemicals. The agreement further underlines DSM’s
innovation ambitions in its Performance Materials cluster, which is an
important element of DSM’s strategy Vision 2010 – Building on
Strengths.
Based on NOVA Chemicals’ proprietary single site catalyst technology, DSM
Elastomers has achieved key breakthroughs in the area of advanced catalysis
technology that allow for the efficient production of EP(D)M’s with improved
properties.
This new technology will be branded Keltan ACE™. ACE is the acronym for
Advanced Catalysis Elastomers.
DSM Elastomers’ President Bob Hartmayer: “this exciting new
generation of catalysts allows us to tailor-make specialty EP(D)M’s that offer
characteristics that cannot be reached with Ziegler-Natta technology. Our
intention is to produce such new types of Keltan® EP(D)M next to our present
Ziegler-Natta Keltan portfolio of Great Grades. This addition to our portfolio
will further enhance the reputation of Keltan as leading EP(D)M brand in the
market”.
DSM Elastomers has filed a number of patents protecting amongst others an
entirely new class of EP(D)M’s, containing very high levels of VNB
(2-vinyl-5-norbornene) as third monomer, without causing gelation or
uncontrolled polymer branching.
These high VNB products respond extremely well to peroxide cures, offering our
customers the possibility to lower the amount of expensive peroxide while
maintaining material properties. Alternatively, compounds can be loaded to a
much higher extent, while maintaining material properties. The products also
offer new opportunities to meet stringent demands for peroxide cure
applications which are currently difficult to meet with the EP(D)M products
presently on the market.
Focus of further exploitation of Keltan ACE™ will be on developing a broad
portfolio of specialty EP(D)M’s.
