SHANGHAI—DuPont Co. has an eye on two automotive megatrends and is preparing its adhesives business to meet the growing, changing auto industry needs.
DuPont has set aside $30 million to build an adhesives manufacturing facility in Zhangjiagang in East China. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2021 with plans to bring the facility online by early 2023.
"This investment reinforces our commitment to advance auto electrification and sustainability while extending our leadership position in China and the Asian market," Randy Stone, president of DuPont mobility and materials, said in a statement.
The new facility, to be located in the Yangtze River International Chemical Industrial Park, will focus on the development of several products including:
- BetaForce TC and BetaTech, thermal interface materials that help support battery thermal management during hybrid/electric vehicle charging and operation;
- BetaForce multi-material bonding adhesives for battery sealing and assembly; and
- BetaMate structural adhesives for vehicle body structure and battery bonding to support crash durability and lighter weight vehicle structures.
"The new facility," DuPont said in a statement, "will offer state-of-the-art process capability and quality, capacity to serve regional needs, excellent access to transportation for shipping and logistics advantages, and technical support to help ensure a world-class customer experience."
This will mark the second adhesives-focused facility that DuPont will have opened in Asia recently. The company recently established a facility in Utsunomiya, Japan, that manufacture the same products that will be made at the new Chinese facility.
