DuPont has begun operations at its $500m Cooper River Kevlar facility near Charleston, South Carolina, US.
Kevlar is a para-aramid synthetic fibre with a high tensile strength-to-weight ratio, used in applications ranging from bicycle tyres and racing sails to body armour.
The facility is expected to result in an initial 25% increase of overall global production capacity for Kevlar, and a 40% increase is expected after continued technology developments over the next two years.
The Cooper River Kevlar plant will initially produce innovations that support three primary technology platforms: Kevlar AP, Kevlar KM2 Plus and Kevlar XP.
These will be used in growing applications in ballistics, personal protective equipment, aerospace, tyres, fibre optic cables, oil and gas, and automotive.
Commercial production will begin by the end of 2011.
