DuPont selling Kevlar business for $1.8 billion

The planned acquisition will expand Arclin's portfolio to include aerospace, electrical infrastructure, electric vehicles, personal protection, and defense, while building on its strong positions in construction, infrastructure, weather and fire protection, and transportation, a release stated.

The sale is expected to close in early 2026.

"DuPont is proud of the legacy of the Kevlar and Nomex  brands," said Lori Koch, CEO of DuPont. "We are confident that under Arclin's leadership, these businesses will continue to thrive and expand their impact in new industries and applications."

The brands were developed by DuPont's once formidable research effort  at its Experimental Station  and have a broad array of live-saving uses that include  protection for police and military personnel and  as a strong-lightweight  material used in jet aircraft. Nomex is used in firefighting gear and flight suits.

However, Kevlar and Nomex, while widely used, never became a blockbuster product for DuPont, which has been shedding product lines over the years and is spinning of its  electronics business, which is seeing faster growth than legacy product lines like Kevlar.

Several years ago, DuPont closed a Kevlar production line months after its opening after sales fell short of forecasts,

DuPont, at one time, was one of the world's largest corporations. Its sales have since shrunk to about $12 billion and will drop further with sales and spin-offs. Acquisitions have been smaller bolt-on deals.

Arclin has annual sales under $400 million. However, the company, funded by private equity investments, has been acquiring product lines, with Kevlar appearing to be  its biggest acquisition to date.

The sale will have a marginal impact on DuPont's Delaware presence, since production takes place elsewhere.

The company has been investing in the Delaware manufacturing operations it has retained with a new site for its electronics business, formerly Rodel and Rhom and Haas.