DuPont to boost Kevlar capacity at Va. factory

WILMINGTON, Del. (Aug. 13)—DuPont Co., citing high demand growth for aramid fiber, will invest $50 million in the coming 12-18 months to expand Kevlar para-aramid fiber capacity at its Richmond, Va., plant. DuPont said global demand for the high performance fiber—used in tires, technical rubber goods, bulletproof vests, and other products—is outpacing supply. DuPont recently completed the first phase of expansion projects that began in early 2000 and increased production capacity for Kevlar fiber globally by about 15 percent. "The Kevlar high-performance fiber market is seeing incredible growth as demand from our core customers continues to increase and new product applications are developed," Diane Gulyas, vice president and general manager of DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems, said in a prepared statement. Besides Richmond, DuPont produces Kevlar at plants in Northern Ireland and Japan.