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DuPont Filaments at InterBrush 2008 (Hall 2, Stand 2.1.7)

As a leading supplier of filaments to the brush industry, DuPont Filaments views its presence at InterBrush 2008 as a prerequisite for its continued success and, moreover, that of its customers.
Innovative solutions to be presented at InterBrush 2008 include recent additions to our abrasive filament offering. Caustic resistant filaments, which show significant increases in terms of tensile strength retention following exposure to high alkaline solutions (commonly used in industrial cleaning) form one area of development. New DuPont(tm) Herox(r) A abrasive filaments, made from nylon 610 as a complement to the company's existing Tynex(r) A range, combine value and performance for less demanding cleaning and polishing applications. Finally, DuPont's range of mild abrasive filaments, containing small aluminium oxide particles for milder finishing and more aesthetically-pleasing results, has also been expanded to cover a wider array of diameters and colours.

A further topic of interest for InterBrush 2008 is the Filaments business' compliance with DuPont's corporate sustainability program, and assistance in achieving its stated goals for 2015. The business is investigating the development of brush filaments based on bio-based
materials and renewable resources for all of its end-use markets. Related to this, DuPont Filaments is also driving the adoption of synthetic filaments as an alternative to animal hair for cosmetic brushes, as illustrated by its Tynex(r) Natrafil(tm) filaments.

An interview with Jian-Ping Wang, new CEO of the DuPont Filament joint venture

Jian-Ping Wang, new CEO of the DuPont Filament joint venture

Brushwork: Mr Wang, congratulations on your new appointment. What is your personal assessment of the DuPont Filaments business?
J-P W: First of all, may I say it is an honour for me to be appointed CEO of the DuPont Filaments joint venture - a business with significant heritage in the production of high quality nylon brush filaments. In fact, February 2008 marked the 70th anniversary of the market introduction of the nylon toothbrush bristle by DuPont - a milestone of its time in providing customers and consumers a more hygienic and affordable alternative to natural bristles that would go on to improve their quality of life. Fast forward to today, and we can still recognise these principles, in line with DuPont's corporate vision, of applying DuPont expertise in material science to develop unique and sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Current examples include our development of brush filaments based on bio-based materials and renewable resources for all of our end-use markets, including the launch of our Tynex(r) Natrafil(tm) filaments as an alternative to animal hair for cosmetic brushes.
Brushwork: What are your plans for the mid to long-term to maintain DuPont's strong position in its industry?
J-P W.: DuPont remains committed to its filaments business. Therefore, we aim to maintain our strong position by investing in our technology, our assets and our people.
As I previously mentioned, we are a science company with strong foundations in bioscience, material science and chemistry, attributes which we integrate to deliver innovative and sustainable products that address our customers' requirements.
In terms of our assets, we continue to establish them in the proximity of our customer. Over the last three years we have fully integrated the Wuxi operations into the DuPont Filaments organization to create significant competitive advantages for our business. Not only has it resulted in the expansion of our product portfolio, but we have been able to establish a reliable and efficient supply chain for the region and a closer relationship to our customer base in Asia Pacific.
Moreover, a new product development centre in Shanghai, China, strengthens our product development capability and will allow us to develop new products with more value to end-users.
With regard to our people, we continue to recruit the best available talent and focus on their development to deliver the competency and proximity that our customers expect.
Brushwork: Finally, what are your expectations for InterBrush 2008?
J-P W.: As a leading supplier of filaments to the brush industry, our participation at InterBrush 2008 is a prerequisite for our continued success and, moreover, that of our customers. We consider the show a unique opportunity for us to present our vast technical and application expertise based on over 70 years of filaments engineering. During it we - and particularly I, in my new role, - hope to meet many customers and discuss with them how we can improve our support and service to further enhance their brushmaking and business activities. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing them there!

DuPont Filaments: A breadth of application
The range of products offered by DuPont Filaments for brush applications ranges from FDA-compliant colourful filaments for oral care applications, to soft "natural-feel" filaments for cosmetics, long synthetic tapered bristles for paintbrushes, and tough, durable abrasive filaments for cleaning and polishing.
70 years of experience in providing filaments to the oral care industry Having first started making bristles for toothbrushes in the 1930's, DuPont is uniquely qualified to be a special partner for oral care marketers and manufacturers around the world.
The business can supply a broad range of FDA-compliant filaments, under the registered brand names of Tynex(r) and Herox(r), in a range of colours and sizes, for almost any toothbrush design, including electric and manual toothbrushes, interdental brushes, floss threaders and tongue brushes.
Premium filaments for a variety of cosmetic applications DuPont Filaments provides world-class engineering and manufacturing expertise to ensure customers get the right brush for all of their cosmetic products. Indeed the almost limitless variations in flexibility, stiffness or softness of Tynex(r) filaments have seen them earn a reputation for meeting the most demanding requirements of cosmetic brush makers.
High quality paintbrush filaments
Tynex(r) and Chinex(r) nylon and Orel(r) polyester tapered filaments for premium paint brushes are based on decades of product innovation. With extensive shapes and uniform taper control, its filaments business offers some of the finest Solid Round Tapered (SRT), and
specialty filaments available. In terms of their performance, DuPont(tm) SRT nylon and polyester filaments provide superior product pick-up and absorb less water for smooth, even paint release over time.
Tynex(r) A abrasive filaments - superior performance for cleaning and polishing DuPont(tm) Tynex(r) A abrasive filaments are uniformly impregnated with durable silicon carbide and aluminium oxide abrasive grit. Brushes made from DuPont Tynex(r) A filaments provide fast and easy deburring, cleaning and polishing with a powerful combination of stiffness, chemical resistance, aggressiveness and durability. Even more importantly, DuPont(tm) Tynex(r) A filaments maintain their stiffness when wet and are flexible enough to maintain contact on variable and uneven surfaces, ensuring proper abrasion for every surface and crevice.
Industrial filaments and suspension fabrics from DuPont
Using its own polymer manufacturing capability, DuPont can offer a range of large diameter nylon 612 filaments and a selection of DuPont fluoropolymer filaments for special industrial applications. Those made with DuPont(tm) Teflon(r) PTFE provide excellent heat and chemical resistance for use in special filters, cable jacketing, and high temperature cleaning brushes, to mention a few applications. DuPont(tm) Tynex(r) large diameter (than 0.30mm) filaments are made with nylon 612 and 610 and are used in a wide range of products from special scrub brushes to music string.
Finally, DuPont Filaments is able to provide a high-strength durable monofilament, made from thermoplastic polyester elastomers, that is combined with a textile yarn to produce a fabric with unique elastic properties. Marketed as DuPont(tm) Dymetrol(r) high-performance fabrics, they provide strong, stretchable suspension materials for today's demanding auto, aircraft, and furniture seating.
Further information on the DuPont Filaments offering can be found at
www.filaments.dupont.com
The DuPont Oval, DuPont(tm), The miracles of science(tm), Tynex(r), Herox(r), Chinex(r), Orel(r), Teflon(r), Dymetrol(r) and Natrafil(tm) are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.