The DuPont Experimental Station research and development facility - home to some of the world's most important scientific discoveries - marked its 100th anniversary in 2003.
As one of the first industrial research laboratories in the United States, the 150-acre campus-style Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, serves as the primary research and development facility for DuPont. The company has more than 75 research and development facilities globally, including 35 outside the United States. The Experimental Station is the birthplace of many of the innovative materials and products developed by DuPont since 1903, including:
Neoprene - the world's first synthetic rubber; Tyvek® nonwovens; Kevlar® fiber; Mylar® polyester film; Corian® solid surfaces; Butacite® polyvinyl butyral; Suva® refrigerants; and Nomex® fiber.
Click here for a map of significant inventions in the past century at the Experimental Station which have made a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.
Today roughly 2,000 scientists and researchers, including about 600 PhD's, pursue science-based solutions for global markets including agriculture and nutrition, electronics, safety and protection, coatings and performance materials. Collaborating to build on a legacy of scientific discovery, they create materials that make people safer and more comfortable and improve their performance at work, home and play. These include DuPont™ Suva® refrigerants, the DuPont™ BAX® food safety systems and DuPont™ Sorona® polymer.
Research and development now under way includes nanotechnology, emerging displays technologies, high efficiency photovoltaics, biofuels made from renewable resources such as cellulosics, and biomaterials produced from renewable resources such as corn. These developments could lead to foods that help prevent diseases, "smart" materials that can adjust performance on their own, microorganisms that produce biodegradable products and innovative materials for personal protection.
"When the Experimental Station opened 100 years ago, our focus was to turn from explosives to become a global chemicals and materials company," said Chief Innovation Tom Connelly. "Today, as part of our next transformation, we are putting our science to work by making real differences in everyday life. Our ability to change in response to the changing external environment has established DuPont as one of the world's most innovative companies. The Experimental Station and all of its people over the years have truly provided advances that have helped make the world a safer and better place."
To learn more about the scientific advances made at the DuPont Experimental Station throughout the last 100 years, click here.
