DuPont has announced that it is investing more than $80 million (Rs 580 crore) to build a new manufacturing facility in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province in East China. The new facility will produce compounded high-end engineering plastics and adhesives to serve customers in transportation, electronics, industrial and consumer products markets. The planned facility is expected to become operational in 2020 with expansion through 2023.

The deal was signed between DuPont representatives and Zhangjiagang government officials at a ceremony in Shanghai at the China International Import Expo (CIIE).

The new facility, to be built at the Yangtze River International Chemical Industrial Park, will support growing demand for DuPont Transportation & Advanced Polymers (T&AP) business’ specialised materials. The company says the investment in new compounding lines will be focused primarily on DuPont Zytel nylon engineering plastics; Delrin acetal resins; Hytrel thermoplastic polyesters, and Multibase thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), lubricants and specialty silicone materials.

The site plans include new production lines for automotive adhesives, and also to manufacture additional specialty products in the future, enabling it to be the first multi-business manufacturing facility in China for the new DuPont.

Randy Stone, president of DuPont Transportation and Advanced Polymers, said: “This investment reinforces our commitment to China and the Asian market where we see strong growth potential across our businesses. Our new manufacturing facility will position us well to support anticipated growth in the automotive sector due to strong customer demand for our advanced polymers and solutions from end users such as electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturers. This investment, in cooperation with the Zhangjiagang government, will enable us to continue to deliver innovative solutions that serve high-growth end uses in a cost-effective, responsive way, and strengthen our leadership position in these key application spaces globally.”

The company's T&AP business has significant manufacturing operations and R&D capabilities globally, in the United States and Canada, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and in Asia Pacific, with the most recent investments announced for U.S. sites earlier this year.

The business is part of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division business, which offers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions for the transportation, electronics, industrial and consumer segment.

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