DuPont.

About DuPont

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company was founded in 1802 in Delaware by Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, who had trained as a chemist in France under Antoine Lavoisier. The company’s early business was gunpowder manufacture, and its willingness to invest in the chemistry and manufacturing of hazardous materials built the scientific culture that would later produce some of the most significant material science innovations of the twentieth century. Neoprene, nylon, Teflon (PTFE), Kevlar, Nomex and Tyvek are all DuPont inventions, and their effect on manufacturing, protection and daily life is still visible everywhere today.

In industrial PPE and protective clothing, DuPont’s most important contributions are the branded materials that define entire product categories. Tyvek is a flash-spun high-density polyethylene fabric used in Type 5 and Type 6 disposable coveralls: lightweight, breathable to water vapour, and resistant to dry particles and liquid splashes. Tychem is a family of chemical barrier fabrics for more demanding chemical exposure. Nomex is a meta-aramid fibre used in flame-resistant clothing. Kevlar is a para-aramid used in cut-resistant gloves, sleeves and structural applications. These are not generic materials; each represents a specific chemistry with defined performance properties.

When a garment is specified as “Tyvek” or “Nomex”, that specification refers to the DuPont material rather than to a garment manufacturer’s design. This matters for procurement. Understanding which DuPont material is required for a given hazard scenario is the first step, before selecting the garment manufacturer and construction that best suits the application.

Products We Can Supply from DuPont

Tyvek coveralls (Type 5/6) cover DuPont Tyvek 500 and 600 coveralls in Type 5 (dry particle protection) and Type 6 (limited splash protection) configurations. They are used in pharmaceutical manufacturing, asbestos removal, painting and spraying, general chemical handling, and any application where the worker needs a disposable barrier against particles or limited liquid splash. Tyvek’s breathability relative to other impermeable materials is a meaningful comfort factor for workers wearing coveralls for extended periods.

Tychem chemical protective suits cover Type 3, 4, 5 and 6 chemical protection in escalating levels of barrier performance against a wider range of chemical hazards than standard Tyvek. The Tychem 2000, 4000, 6000 and 10000 series offer increasing chemical permeation resistance, for applications ranging from general industrial chemical handling to emergency response to highly toxic substances. The specific Tychem grade is selected on the basis of the chemicals in the risk assessment and the required breakthrough time.

Nomex flame-resistant fibre products cover garments and components using DuPont Nomex meta-aramid fibre for inherent flame resistance, where the protective property is in the fibre itself rather than a surface treatment that can wash or wear off. Nomex is specified in the fire service, oil and gas, electrical utilities, motorsport and any application where garment flame resistance must be permanent rather than temporary.

Kevlar cut-resistant products cover gloves, sleeves and hand protection incorporating DuPont Kevlar para-aramid fibre for cut and abrasion resistance. Kevlar-based cut protection offers high cut resistance with low bulk compared with chain mail or HDPE alternatives, which makes it well suited to applications needing fine manual dexterity alongside hand protection.

Industries

DuPont protective materials are used in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, oil and gas, nuclear and radiological decontamination, fire and emergency response, asbestos and hazardous materials removal, agricultural chemical application, painting and spraying, food production, electrical utilities, motorsport, and any industrial environment where specific chemical, thermal or mechanical hazards require defined material performance properties in protective clothing.