29 Mar 2007

DSM CONTINUES TO INVEST IN INNOVATIVE GROWTH IN PERFORMANCE MATERIALS CLUSTER

DSM Elastomers, a business group of Royal DSM N.V., recently 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.

Reader enquiries

DSM Elastomers
PO Box 601
6160 AP Geleen

Netherlands

+31 46 476 6034

www.dsmelastomers.com

Notes for editors

About NOVA Chemicals

NOVA Chemicals produces plastics and chemicals that are essential to everyday life. The company’s employees develop and manufacture materials for customers worldwide that produce consumer, industrial and packaging products. NOVA Chemicals’ industry-leading polymer processing and catalyst technologies are utilized by licensees globally. The company works with a commitment to Responsible Care® to ensure effective health, safety, security and environmental stewardship. Company shares are traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges as NCX.

Visit NOVA Chemicals on the Internet at www.novachemicals.com.

About DSM Elastomers

DSM Elastomers is a global supplier of EP(D)M rubber (Keltan®) and TPVs (Sarlink®), with a strong presence on all continents. Through our global sales organization and distribution network we provide an extensive range of high quality grades to converters and compounders around the world. Our position as a dynamic and leading player in the market enables us to secure a constant supply of highly consistent materials. Moreover, our sophisticated logistics handling ensures hassle-free delivery anywhere in the world.

More information can be found at www.keltan.com.

About DSM

DSM is active worldwide in nutritional and pharma ingredients, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company develops, produces and sells innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life. DSM’s products are used in a wide range of end-markets and applications, such as human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings and paint, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). DSM’s strategy, named Vision 2010 – Building on Strengths, focuses on accelerating profitable and innovative growth of the company’s specialties portfolio. The key drivers of this strategy are market-driven growth and innovation plus an increased presence in emerging economies. The group has annual sales of over €8 billion and employs some 22,000 people worldwide. DSM ranks among the global leaders in many of its fields. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas.

More information about DSM can be found at www.dsm.com.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of DSM management and information currently available to the company. The statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore DSM does not guarantee that its expectations will be realized. Furthermore, DSM has no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release.