Polymer Research in Canadian Industry

Polymers are molecules of very high molecular weight that are made up of many repeated units of low molecular weight. Polyethylene is a polymer made up of ethylene units. Many polymers are used extensively in commercial products due to their inertness, their low price, and their ability to be formed or molded into desired shapes. Polyethylene can be found in many products such as grocery bags, flexible soda bottles and stiffer bottles for products such as bleach.

Two Canadian companies that are involved in polymer research are Novacor Research and Technology, and Dupont of Canada. Novacor Chemical Company operates extensively all over North America but has its "home-base" in Calgary, Alberta. Dupont Canada carries out its technical research in the Dupont Research Centre in Kingston, Ontario, and their commercial manufacturing is done at Sarnia.

Novacor extracts ethane from natural gas and converts it to ethylene at its plant in Joffre, Alberta. Polyethylene is produced from the catalyzed polymerization of ethylene. A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of reaction without being consumed in the overall reaction.

Dr. Anita Arduini is a principle scientist at the Novacor Research and Technology Corporation in Calgary, Alberta. Dr. Arduini conducts research on catalyst development in the polymerization reactions of ethylene. Developing new catalysts leads to new polymers and new polymer properties.

Dupont Canada began to research ways to make polymers more chemically reactive in 1983. The Senior Research Scientist on this project is Dr. John Boocock. Using an expensive piece of machinery called an extruder this goal was reached and DuPont Canada holds many patents in this area. One modification that Dupont has successfully commercialized is to react the polymer with maleic anhydride. This dramatically affects the reactivity of the polymer. One area in which this new technology can be incorporated is in the lining of metal pipes for protection from corrosion and abrasion.

Both DuPont of Canada and Novacor are successful companies that employ many scientists. Research on polymers is conducted everyday at these companies in labs like those of Dr. Arduini at Novacor Research and Technology and Dr. Boocock's labs at DuPont of Canada.