DuPont hikes Kevlar coloured yarn capacity

This is in response to growing demand from customers for colored yarns used in a range of thermal, cut protection and composites for consumer and industrial applications.

DuPont, the world’s only producer of Kevlar, offers a wide selection of colored para-aramid yarns. In addition to its natural yellow color, Kevlar also is available in black, red, orange, green and blue and offers color innovation through collaborative science. 

Kevlar colored yarn is used in a variety of applications including cut and heat resistant gloves, military apparel, firefighter turnout gear and flame-resistant industrial and racing apparel, as well as consumer applications including kayaks and MOTOROLA smartphones. A wide variety of color options gives customers aesthetic and functional flexibility and provides new and better ways to help them differentiate their products.

“DuPont is committed to fostering inclusive innovation to address a number of challenges on a global scale,” said Marc Doyle, president, DuPont Protection Technologies. “Our continued investment in Kevlar enables us to take on new challenges, as we continuously innovate and collaborate with our customers to make the world a safer place.”

The additional color capacity is being added to the DuPont plant in Richmond, Va. and is expected to become available in October 2013. This latest investment in Kevlar colored yarn capacity follows the company’s $500 million investment in a production facility near Charleston, S.C. 

The South Carolina plant opened in fall 2011.  DuPont manufactures Kevlar through a network of four sites globally in three different regions: Richmond, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; Maydown, Northern Ireland and at a DuPont joint venture, DuPont-Toray Company in Tokai, Japan. DuPont also has research and development facilities and customer applications centers for Kevlar in Shanghai, China; Hyderabad, India; Paulina, Brazil; Meyrin, Switzerland; Richmond, Va. and Wilmington, Del.

After more than 40 years, the proven performance and powerful brand awareness of Kevlar continues to create significant new opportunities where the combination of lightweight strength and other unique properties enable new designs, increases reliability and helps save lives. Best known for its use in ballistic and stab-resistant body armor, Kevlar has helped save the lives of thousands of law enforcement and military personnel around the world.

DuPont has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802.  The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.

DuPont