DuPont has announced the start-up of its $500 million Cooper River Kevlar facility near Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.
The new facility is expected to add an initial 25 percent increase in overall global production capacity for Kevlar, with a 40 percent increase expected after continued technology developments over the next two years.
The plant uses state-of-the-art technology that will allow DuPont to meet increased customer demand for advanced protective materials in emerging industries around the world. Commercial supply will begin by the end of the year.
“As the global 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.
“This significant boost in production capacity and capability demonstrates DuPont’s continuing commitment to support our customers and to find solutions that help protect more people around the world.”
Along with a recent $50 million expansion at DuPont’s Spruance plant in Richmond, Virginia, Cooper River represents the largest single investment in Kevlar and the largest capacity increase since the fiber was introduced in 1965. The Cooper River plant expansion created new jobs and was built over a period of three years using a construction workforce of up to 800.
