WILMINGTON, Del., June 10, 2004 — As a leader in the safety and protection market, DuPont recently announced production expansion plans for its high-performance DuPont™ Kevlar® para-aramid. DuPont plans to invest over $70 million for the project and is beginning the equipment procurement process. The expansion will increase global Kevlar® capacity by more than 10 percent. The project is scheduled to come online in phases between late 2005 and the first half of 2006. The specific expansion locations will be finalized as required to meet the projected start-up dates.

This is the fourth expansion DuPont has made in Kevlar® para-aramid capacity since 2000 due to the growing customer demand for this unique, high-strength fiber that supports global safety and performance applications. In addition to the expansions, DuPont continues to increase capacity by optimizing the productivity of existing assets through the use of Six Sigma processes.

"Global demand for DuPont™ Kevlar® has soared with the need for safety and security worldwide," said William J. Harvey, vice president and general manager – DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems. "In addition, new applications are being developed that harness the lightweight strength of Kevlar® fiber to enhance protection and performance. This capacity expansion is a critical step in growing the Kevlar® business, maintaining DuPont leadership in the performance fibers market, and delivering the innovation customers expect from DuPont."

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