DuPont Safety & Construction has announced plans to invest more than $400 million to expand capacity for the manufacture of Tyvek nonwoven materials at its facility in Luxembourg. The production expansion, which will add a building and third operating line at the site, is scheduled to start up in 2021.
“Global demand for DuPont Tyvek continues to grow in all of our end-use markets,” says Rose Lee, president of DuPont Safety & Construction. “This capacity expansion plan is a step in growing the Tyvek business and delivering the innovation customers expect from DuPont.”
According to industry estimates, the global segments for potential Tyvek use total several billion dollars.
In 2017 DuPont celebrated the 50th anniversary of DuPont Tyvek, a nonwoven material made of 100 percent polyethylene that has enabled protection, security and safety in a variety of industries and applications. Core segments include:
- Building envelope solutions, such as Tyvek HomeWrap, Tyvek CommercialWrap, DuPont Flashing Systems and Tyvek Protec to create buildings with fewer chances for moisture damage caused by water buildup.
- Tyvek protective garments, which provide protection for workers in industrial and cleanroom applications and for first responders. Companies around the world use more than 200 million Tyvek garments per year.
- Tyvek for medical packaging, used to help protect patients in healthcare settings. Since its introduction to the medical device industry more than 45 years ago, Tyvek has been recognized as a standard for sterile device packaging.
- Tyvek for graphics and protective packaging, used in specialty applications, including cargo covers for pharmaceuticals and perishables, and as a substrate for envelopes, tags, labels, banners, wristbands, maps and artwork.
Tyvek has had an impact across numerous industries, resulting in the creation of new categories of products, such as house wrap, which helps with home construction; setting standards for personal protective apparel; enabling advancements in medical device technology; and playing a role in several other applications. DuPont, along with its customers, continue to develop Tyvek products and applications to meet evolving marketplace needs. Designers of consumer products for lighting and fashion accessories and apparel are demanding Tyvek for their products because of its durability and texture.
For Greater Good is the promise of the DuPont Tyvek brand. Tyvek can provide the protective barrier people need so they can worry less and focus on accomplishing other things.