NOVA Chemicals to Present R&D Results, Impact on Packaging Market at 2018 TAPPI Conference
Experts to showcase advances in resins, film structures, testing, modelling and more
Calgary, Alberta, Canada (April 23, 2018)– Researchers from NOVA Chemicals Corporation (“NOVA Chemicals”) will deliver findings from studies and tests during the 2018 TAPPI International Flexible Packaging and Extrusion Division Conference at the Omni Charlotte Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 22-25.
The research, conducted at NOVA Chemicals’ Centre for Applied Research and Centre for Performance Applications, has the potential to improve flexible packaging solutions for the heavy duty sack and meal kit delivery industries, and to optimize multilayer film structure design.
“Our commitment to research and development is vital to meeting our customers’ needs for an increasingly diverse portfolio of products,” said Mark Kay, performance films group leader, NOVA Chemicals’ polyethylene business. “We’re excited to showcase our findings and the impact they’ll have on the industry at this year’s flexible packaging conference.”
The NOVA Chemicals sessions are:
It’s an E-Commerce World and We Are All Living in It
Jonathan Quinn, flexible markets development manager for NOVA Chemicals’ polyethylene performance films group, will moderate and participate in a panel discussion on e-commerce April 23 at 1:30 p.m. with two former Amazon executives: John Moritz, former vice president of product management, and Manu Sareen, former general manager of Amazon Private Brands.
The panel will discuss the overall e-commerce landscape, drill down to the implications for packaging and offer predictions and thoughts on the biggest challenges that lay ahead.
Rethinking Seal Performance
NOVA Chemicals’ recent introduction of high-performance grades of resins produced on the Advanced SCLAIRTECH™ technology platform affords opportunities to reformulate multilayer films – particularly sealant layers – to develop innovative and sustainable flexible packaging solutions.
Owen Lightbody, team leader, performance films technical service, will present end-use performance testing results of multilayer film structures containing these new grades on April 23 at 3:30 p.m.
New Developments in Resins, Structures and Test Methods for the Heavy Duty Sack Market
The unique performance requirements of heavy duty sacks continue to expand as more packaging applications emerge to accommodate the growing variety of products that are introduced to the market. Meeting these requirements calls for an integrated-solutions approach that includes new resin designs, film structure development, sustainable packaging and protocols to test packages in real-life conditions.
Greg Courtney, technical service specialist, and Shivendra Goyal, principal research engineer, will demonstrate how NOVA Chemicals’ new resin offerings provide distinctive combinations of toughness/stiffness balance and creep resistance that are critical to achieving performance standards in heavy duty sacks.
They will present the results of two case studies on April 24 at 8 a.m.:
- Heavy Duty Resin Bag Performance describes the methodology and testing of multilayer, heavy duty resin bags containing 25 Kgs of resin.
- Butene Incorporation to Reduce Costs shows how an integrated-solutions approach can lead to cost-effective and sustainable heavy-duty film structures with desired performance through the manipulation of polyethylene (PE) resin architecture.
Heat Transfer Modelling in Multilayer Films Used for Flexible Packaging
Heat transfer through multilayer or coextruded films is an important but often overlooked consideration that can affect converting operations and end-use package integrity. The difficulty in predicting or modelling heat transfer is exacerbated by the fluctuating properties of certain polymers resulting from temperature changes.
NOVA Chemicals’ recent development of test methods for estimating specific heat and thermal conductivity over a broad range of temperatures led to the creation of a predictive heat transfer model for multilayer films containing up to nine polymer layers.
Dan Ward, technical service specialist, will present an overview of the model and two case studies involving heat transfer on April 24 at 10:30 a.m.:
- Improving Hot Tack Window Without Changing Sealant shows how interior polymer layers affect sealant cooling rates after the seal jaws are opened.
- Thermoformability of Multilayer Films reveals the effects of multilayer film thicknesses, and the type and relative amount of polyethylene or polyamide used in coextruded films on heat retention during vacuum thermoforming.
Changes in Extrusion Equipment and Materials
The advent of co-extrusion equipment provides numerous opportunities for multilayer film structures to deliver on the bigger macro-trends, such as convenience, freshness, tamper evidence and sustainability. Therefore, it’s incumbent on plastics manufacturers to go “outside the box,” rethink conventional film design and leverage creativity and innovation.
Paul Tas, food packaging market manager, polyethylene business, explores the growth of co-extrusion and the importance of doing more with less with today’s packaging.
Tas will present his research findings on April 24 at 10:30 a.m.
E-commerce Food Packaging: The Good, The Bad, The Opportunity
Food e-commerce, especially for perishables, has lagged behind the larger societal shift to online purchases, but it’s starting to take off in a big way. High-performance packaging that ensures that food arrives at consumers’ homes fresh, safe to consume and undamaged is key to the sustainable growth of this segment.
Quinn continues educating the industry on e-commerce with this presentation, explaining how innovations in primary and secondary packaging present new opportunities for food e-commerce players to improve consumer confidence in fresh food home deliveries.
Quinn will speak on April 25 at 10:30 a.m.
NOVA Chemicals is the exclusive sponsor of the conference’s Welcome Reception and one of the sponsors of the “New Technology Showcase.” Held biannually in North America, TAPPI’s International Flexible Packaging and Extrusion Division (formerly PLACE) Conference covers all aspects of the supply chain, from creation to consumer, including advances in technology for extrusion coating, sustainability, surface treatment, additives, equipment and much more. Learn more by visiting the conference website at http://events.tappiflexible.org.
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About NOVA Chemicals
NOVA Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals and plastic resins that make everyday life safer, healthier and easier. Our employees work to ensure health, safety, security and environmental stewardship through our commitment to sustainability and Responsible Care®. NOVA Chemicals, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is wholly-owned ultimately by Mubadala Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
About NOVA Chemicals Polyethylene Business
The NOVA Chemicals polyethylene business enables its customers’ success with a portfolio of more than 125 specialized SURPASS®, SCLAIR® and NOVAPOL® resins. Each new NOVA Chemicals resin is developed to meet customer requirements, from drop-in consistency to step-out performance attributes. Our customer-centric approach drives our business: customer success is our success.
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Media inquiries, please contact:
Andie Stiles
NOVA Chemicals
E-mail: andie.stiles@novachem.com
The NOVA Chemicals logo and NOVAPOL are registered trademarks of NOVA Brands Ltd.; authorized use. SCLAIR and SURPASS are registered trademarks of NOVA Chemicals Corporation in Canada and of NOVA Chemicals (International) S.A. elsewhere; authorized use. Advanced SCLAIRTECH™ is a trademark of NOVA Chemicals. Responsible Care® is a registered trademark of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.
