DuPont, Inc.
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A DuPont, Inc. is a multinational chemical company.
- AKA: DuPont de Nemours, Inc..
- Context:
- It has played a significant role in the development and commercialization of various polymers, chemicals, and synthetic materials.
- It can (typically) produce polymers such as Vespel, neoprene, nylon, Corian, Teflon, Mylar, Kapton, Kevlar, Nomex, Tyvek, and Lycra.
- It can (often) engage in chemical engineering and material science research to develop innovative products.
- It can range from being a supplier of gunpowder in the early 19th century to a developer of modern synthetic fibers and specialty chemicals.
- It can operate within the chemical industry and influence related industries such as refrigeration through the development of chlorofluorocarbons like Freon.
- It can be involved in corporate restructuring, as seen in the 2015 merger with Dow Chemical Company and the subsequent formation of DowDuPont, which later split into Dow Inc., Corteva, and the current DuPont.
- It can maintain headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware and follow regulations under the Delaware General Corporation Law.
- It can contribute to historical and modern advancements in chemical and material science, impacting global markets.
- It can be led by notable figures such as Edward D. Breen and its founder Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours.
- It can be listed on major stock indices such as the S&P 100 and S&P 500.
- ...
- Example(s):
- Counter-Example(s):
- Procter & Gamble, a company primarily focused on consumer goods and personal care products rather than chemicals and synthetic materials.
- 3M, a multinational conglomerate operating in industry, worker safety, health care, and consumer goods.
- See: Chemical Industry, Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours, Forever Chemical, Corporate Crime.
References
2024
- (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuPont Retrieved:2024-5-28.
- DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in the development of Delaware and first arose as a major supplier of gunpowder. DuPont developed many polymers such as Vespel, neoprene, nylon, Corian, Teflon, Mylar, Kapton, Kevlar, Zemdrain, M5 fiber, Nomex, Tyvek, Sorona, Corfam and Lycra in the 20th century, and its scientists developed many chemicals, most notably Freon (chlorofluorocarbons), for the refrigerant industry. It also developed synthetic pigments and paints including ChromaFlair.
In 2015, DuPont and the Dow Chemical Company agreed to a reorganization plan in which the two companies would merge and split into three. As a merged entity, DuPont simultaneously acquired Dow and renamed itself to DowDuPont on August 31, 2017, and after 18 months spun off the merged entity's material science divisions into a new corporate entity bearing Dow Chemical's name and agribusiness divisions into the newly created Corteva; DowDuPont reverted its name to DuPont and kept the specialty products divisions. Prior to the spinoffs it was the world's largest chemical company in terms of sales. The merger has been reported to be worth an estimated $130 billion. The present DuPont, as prior to the merger, is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, in the state where it is incorporated. [1][2][3]
- DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in the development of Delaware and first arose as a major supplier of gunpowder. DuPont developed many polymers such as Vespel, neoprene, nylon, Corian, Teflon, Mylar, Kapton, Kevlar, Zemdrain, M5 fiber, Nomex, Tyvek, Sorona, Corfam and Lycra in the 20th century, and its scientists developed many chemicals, most notably Freon (chlorofluorocarbons), for the refrigerant industry. It also developed synthetic pigments and paints including ChromaFlair.
2024
- Perplexity
- DuPont has a long history of corporate malfeasance, particularly related to environmental violations and the handling of toxic chemicals. Here are some notable examples:
- Clean Air Act Violations: **Deepwater, New Jersey**: The EPA fined DuPont $531,000 for violating the Clean Air Act at its Deepwater plant. The facility improperly maintained and repaired refrigeration units, potentially releasing large amounts of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are harmful to the ozone layer[1].
- Chemical Accident Prevention Program Violations: **La Porte, Texas**: In 2018, DuPont paid a $3.1 million civil penalty for violations of the EPA’s chemical accident prevention program. This followed a 2014 chemical accident at the La Porte facility that resulted in the release of nearly 24,000 pounds of methyl mercaptan, killing four workers[2].
- PFOA Pollution and Legal Settlements: **Parkersburg, West Virginia**: DuPont faced multiple lawsuits starting in 1998 related to PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) pollution from its Parkersburg plant. The company settled a class action lawsuit in 2005 for up to $235 million for medical monitoring of over 70,000 people. In 2017, DuPont settled over 3,550 lawsuits for $671 million[5].
- **Ohio River**: DuPont settled with the state of Ohio for $110 million over PFOA contamination from its Washington Works facility, which spanned seven decades. The settlement includes funds for environmental restoration and addressing pollution from firefighting foam[12][19].
- PFAS Contamination: **North Carolina**: DuPont and Chemours have been implicated in extensive PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in North Carolina. The UN has criticized the companies for disregarding human rights and environmental protections, leading to significant health and environmental issues[6][16] (see: Dark Waters 2019 film)
- Historical Environmental Violations: **C8 (PFOA) Usage**: DuPont continued to use C8 in Teflon production despite knowing its toxicity. Internal documents revealed that the company was aware of the chemical's harmful effects as early as the 1960s but did not disclose this information to the public or its workers[9][10][20].
- Regulatory Evasion and Corporate Restructuring: **Chemours Spin-off**: DuPont created Chemours in 2015, which took on many of DuPont’s environmental liabilities. This move has been criticized as an attempt to evade responsibility for long-term environmental damage[13].
- Workplace Safety Violations: **Various Locations**: DuPont has faced numerous fines for workplace safety violations, including incidents that resulted in worker injuries and fatalities. For example, the company was fined by OSHA for safety violations at its Yerkes plant in 2010[3].
- These examples illustrate a pattern of environmental negligence, regulatory evasion, and failure to protect worker and public health, highlighting significant corporate malfeasance by DuPont.
- Citations:
[1] https://www.ppmco.com/epa-fines-dupont-531000-for-environmental-violations/ [2] https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/dupont-settlement-information-sheet [3] https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/dupont-de-nemours [4] https://wwws.law.northwestern.edu/research-faculty/events/colloquium/law-economics/documents/spring18zingales.pdf [5] https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/dupont-lawsuits-re-pfoa-pollution-in-usa/ [6] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/un-probes-dupont-chemours-over-human-rights-harms-from-pfas-23 [7] https://ctmirror.org/2024/01/25/ct-3m-dupont-pfas-water-contamination/ [8] https://www.corp-research.org/dupont [9] https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/magazine/entry/teflons_toxic_legacy/