DuPont, Wilmington, Del., has begun production at its new Cooper River Kevlar® facility near Charleston, S.C. The $500 million plant initially increases DuPont's Kevlar production by 25 percent and represents the largest single investment in Kevlar since the fiber was introduced 46 years ago. Planned improvements and technology upgrades may increase overall production by some 40 percent over the coming two years.

The facility employs 135 people and will focus on manufacturing DuPont™ Kevlar AP, DuPont Kevlar KM2 Plus and DuPont Kevlar XP™ products for end-uses including personal protective equipment such as ballistics protection; fiber optic cables; tires; and applications in the aerospace, oil and gas, and automotive industries.

November/December 2011