Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont has begun production at its new Cooper River Kevlar® facility near
Charleston, S.C. DuPont first announced the investment back in January 2008
(See ”
DuPont
To Build Kevlar® Fiber Facility In South Carolina,” www.
TextileWorld.com, January 8, 2008). Product from the plant will be
commercially available by the end of the year, according to the company. 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.
“As the population grows, there will be even more critical need for protection materials to
keep people safe and to protect the environment, structures and critical processes,” said Thomas G.
Powell, president, DuPont Protection Technologies. “After more than 40 years, the proven
performance of Kevlar continues to create significant new opportunities where the combination of
lightweight strength and other unique properties enable new designs, increase reliability and save
more lives. This significant boost in capacity and capability demonstrates DuPont’s continuing
commitment to support our customers and to find solutions that help protect more people around the
world.”
The new facility employs 135 people and will focus on manufacturing DuPont™ Kevlar AP, DuPont
Kevlar KM2 Plus and DuPont Kevlar XP™ products. Suitable end-uses for these products include
personal protective equipment such as ballistics protection, fiber optic cables and tires; as well
as applications in the aerospace, oil and gas, and automotive industries.
October 11, 2011
