DuPont Company

DuPont Company History of Asbestos Use

The DuPont Company (DuPont) was founded in 1802 in Wilmington, Delaware, as E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. It began as a gunpowder manufacturer but later became a global chemical company. Over time, DuPont became known for creating materials like Teflon™, Kevlar® and Freon™.

Today, DuPont makes a wide range of products used in homes and industries. These include:

• Agricultural chemicals
• Biotechnology tools
• Building materials
• Cosmetics ingredients
• Industrial chemicals
• Petroleum-based fuels and lubricants
• Pharmaceuticals
• Sterile and specialty packaging materials
• Synthetic fibers

Many of these products were developed during a time when asbestos was commonly used in manufacturing. From the early 1900s through the late 1970s, DuPont used asbestos in several industrial materials. Asbestos was valued for its heat resistance and strength. It was often used in adhesives, insulation, plastics and protective coatings. DuPont also used asbestos in some of its manufacturing facilities and chemical plants.

At its peak in the 1980s, DuPont employed 146,000 people. Workers who handled or worked near asbestos products may have been exposed. This was especially true for those in maintenance, construction or product development.

DuPont’s asbestos use also put other groups at risk. It supplied materials to the construction and automotive industries, the U.S. military and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This means shipyard workers, veterans and others may have been exposed through DuPont.

Some reports say DuPont, like other big companies at the time, may have known asbestos was dangerous but did not warn its employees. After long-term exposure, some workers developed illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. The full extent of what the company knew and when remains unclear.

Over the years, DuPont went through major changes. In 2017, the company merged with Dow Chemical to form DowDuPont, which later split into three separate companies. As of today, DuPont is still operating as a separate entity, though it no longer uses asbestos in its products.

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DuPont Company Asbestos Products

DuPont Company did not make asbestos products. But it used asbestos materials in its buildings for heat resistance and insulation. These materials were widely used in DuPont plants, especially for pipes, boilers, tanks and other equipment. Workers were also exposed to asbestos dust throughout the plant. The locations below are known sites of asbestos exposure at DuPont facilities:

Delaware

• DuPont Newport Pigment Plant Landfill in Newport, Delaware

Kansas

• Dupont-Tecumseh Cellophane Plant in Topeka, Kansas

New Jersey

• DuPont Chambers Works Complex in Deepwater, New Jersey
• DuPont Repauno Plant in Gibbstown, New Jersey

New York

• DuPont Plant in Niagara Falls, New York
• DuPont Yerkes Plant in Tonawanda, New York

North Carolina

• DuPont Chemical Plant in Kinston, North Carolina

Tennessee

• DuPont Hixson Plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee
• DuPont Old Hickory Plant in Nashville, Tennessee

Texas

• DuPont Elastomers Plant in Beaumont, Texas
• DuPont Sabine River Works in Orange, Texas
• DuPont Victoria Plant in Victoria, Texas

Virginia

• DuPont Martinsville Nylon Plant in Martinsville, Virginia
• DuPont Spruance Plant in Richmond, Virginia

West Virginia

• DuPont Belle Works in Belle, West Virginia
• DuPont Washington Works in Washington, West Virginia

The following asbestos products were commonly used at DuPont’s jobsites and plants:

• Adhesives
• Boilers
• Building and construction materials
• Floor tiles
• Furnaces
• Gaskets
• Insulation
• Lab equipment, including countertops and Bunsen burner pads
• Ovens
• Pipes
• Protective clothing, including aprons and gloves
• Pumps
• Roofing
• Scaffolds
• Siding
• Tanks
• Turbines
• Valves

DuPont Company and Occupational Exposure

​DuPont Company’s use of asbestos extended to various equipment components within its facilities. Workers often had to remove and replace these asbestos parts during maintenance and repairs. This process released asbestos fibers into the air, creating significant health risks. ​

The company’s plants also used asbestos-containing construction materials, such as insulation for pipes, boilers and tanks. This wide use of asbestos in buildings and equipment increased exposure risks for DuPont workers.

Family members could also face secondary exposure if fibers were carried home on work clothes or gear. It’s important for former DuPont workers and their loved ones to understand these risks. Anyone exposed may have a higher risk of getting an illness caused by asbestos, like mesothelioma.

Have a Question About Asbestos Exposure and DuPont Company? Ask experienced mesothelioma advocate Jennifer Lucarelli Ask a Question

Asbestos Lawsuits Against DuPont Company

​Former workers have sued DuPont after being exposed to asbestos in its facilities. Many later developed mesothelioma or other related diseases. Specific details about the total number of cases and the amount spent on litigation are not fully disclosed.

Several former Dupont workers have filed asbestos lawsuits and received large settlements. One was a millwright at the DuPont Spruance Plant in Richmond, Virginia. He worked at the plant from 1961 to 1979. He later developed mesothelioma and passed away in early 2022. In October 2024, a Virginia jury awarded his family $3.45 million.

Here are some other examples of workers who sued DuPont and received settlements:

• $3,268,869 for a 79-year-old Army veteran and maintenance worker
• $2,116,170 for an 81-year-old boilermaker and insulator
• $1,573,470 for an 82-year-old electrician
• $1,425,220 for a 75-year-old insulator and laborer
• $1,287,317 for a 62-year-old Army veteran and construction worker

DuPont workers exposed to asbestos on the job who later got sick with an asbestos-related disease may qualify for compensation. A mesothelioma lawyer can help file lawsuits and guide them through the legal process. If they worked at certain DuPont jobsites, they may also be able to file trust fund claims for other companies.