Wastewater Treatment Basic Terms: What Is DuPont (American Technology Company)
Founded in 1802, DuPont is a science company that, with innovative products, materials, and services, provides world-class scientific and engineering capabilities to global markets and helps address a variety of global challenges—including providing abundant and healthy food for people around the world, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment, so that people everywhere can live better, safer, and healthier lives. DuPont's business spans more than 90 countries and regions, and its broad range of innovative products and services covers numerous fields such as agriculture and food, building and construction, communications and transportation, and energy and bio-application technologies. [2]
DuPont has a long history of scientific exploration and has achieved countless innovations. In 2013, the company's R&D investment was US$2.2 billion, with approximately 1,050 U.S. patents and about 2,500 international patents approved, and it has more than 10,000 scientists and technicians and over 150 R&D facilities worldwide. More than ever, DuPont today collaborates with more people in more regions. We believe that "inclusive innovation" is the way to solve the greatest challenges facing humanity: through cooperation with scholars, governments, enterprises, and organizations, we can find new and better ways to provide food, energy, and protection for a growing world population.
DuPont's business dealings with China can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty (1863). Following China's reform and opening-up, DuPont established a representative office in Beijing in 1984, and in 1988 registered and established "DuPont China Group Co., Ltd." in Shenzhen, becoming one of the earliest multinational enterprises to invest in China. After 30 years of effort, DuPont has established more than 40 wholly owned and joint-venture enterprises in China, with about 6,000 employees, and has relocated many regional business headquarters to mainland China.
The DuPont China R&D Center in Shanghai was officially put into use in 2005 and completed its second-phase expansion in 2013. The center is dedicated to providing technological innovation support and a cooperation platform for local Chinese, Asia-Pacific, and global markets, focusing on new-material application development and testing capabilities in areas such as photovoltaic solutions, bio-based materials, and automotive materials.
In addition, the DuPont Shanghai Innovation Center, focusing on the four major fields of agriculture and food, 3C, automotive, and energy, was completed in September 2014, to further connect the R&D needs of China's local market with DuPont's global innovation resources, promote regional collaboration more efficiently, and improve the speed of responding to local innovation partners.
DuPont's business and scientific strength align with China's long-term development needs, and there are abundant opportunities for cooperation in improving the quality and quantity of agricultural products, curbing environmental degradation, building a harmonious society, and addressing demographic changes. DuPont is willing to work with like-minded people from all walks of life in China, integrating the power of diversified ingenuity and innovation, to practice our long-term commitment to supporting China's sustainable economic and social development. [2]
In 1788, at the age of 16, E.I. du Pont became an apprentice in the laboratory of the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier in the Essonne department. The young du Pont quickly mastered the technology of gunpowder production.
It is worth noting that the technologies and standards in this field are also continuously evolving and improving.
In 1902, after the death of company president Eugene du Pont, the surviving partners decided to sell the stock to the highest bidder. The three great-grandsons of the company's founder—Thomas Coleman du Pont, Alfred I. du Pont, and Pierre Samuel du Pont—bought the DuPont company. These three brothers formulated a plan for the company's development in a new direction. They established the Eastern Laboratory, one of the earliest industrial laboratories in the United States.
In 1903, a second major research center—the Central Experiment Station—was built beside the old powder mill on the Brandywine River, to use the company's knowledge of chemical cellulose to expand its product range.
In 1923, after DuPont obtained cellophane production rights from a French company, it established DuPont Cellophane Limited. Four years later, DuPont researcher Hale Charch made cellophane moisture-proof, transforming it from a simple decorative packaging material into a popular and effective food packaging material. Research on films and paints produced a new fast-drying automotive paint, Duco, which accelerated automobile production and gave consumers more color choices.
In addition, this technology also has broad applications and practices in related fields.
In June 1942, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved the "Manhattan Project" to study the atomic bomb, and signed a contract for DuPont's full assistance to the Manhattan Project: DuPont was responsible for the design, construction, and safe transport of all facilities required by the plan, and enjoyed all technologies related to the research and manufacture of the atomic bomb. For this project, DuPont relocated its entire workforce of 60,000 people about 4,345 kilometers from east to west. The U.S. government paid one dollar for the research. [3]
In 1952, DuPont developed a particularly strong and durable plastic film, DuPont MYLAR polyester film, used in areas including audio tape, tight packaging, and electrical insulation. The newly established Textile Fibers Department was very successful, largely because of the development of new wrinkle-resistant, wash-and-wear synthetic fibers such as DuPont Dacron and DuPont Orlon acrylic fiber.
At the same time, the related supporting processes and equipment are also continuously optimized and upgraded.
In 1997, as part of its strategy to invest in biotechnology, DuPont acquired a partial stake in Pioneer Hi-Bred International, the world's leading seed production company. DuPont acquired International Protein Technologies, a major supplier of soy protein.
In 1998, DuPont acquired Merck & Co.'s stake in a joint venture. DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company introduced Sustiva, a new drug for the treatment of HIV and AIDS that requires only once-daily dosing.
In addition, this technology also has broad applications and practices in related fields.
The company's brand ranked 197th in the 2006 "World's 500 Most Influential Brands" list compiled by World Brand Lab. The company ranked 225th in the 2007 Fortune Global 500 largest companies list.
In addition, from the perspective of industrial development, market demand is also driving technological progress.
Since the 1980s, DuPont has actively participated in China's economic development. DuPont has 3 branch companies and 21 wholly owned/joint-venture enterprises in China, with total investment exceeding US$700 million, about 3,500 employees, and more than 10 technology transfers applied to 18 domestic research institutions and production facilities, supporting China's industrial and economic development while also promoting the improvement of Chinese society and people's living standards through the introduction and promotion of DuPont's high-tech and quality-of-life products.
In China, DuPont has also invested in R&D and technical training facilities, combining market realities to train professionals and expand innovative technologies and products suited to local market and customer needs. DuPont is building a comprehensive R&D center in Shanghai, expected to be put into use in 2005. This will be DuPont's third large corporate-level R&D facility outside the United States. Its completion will provide strong technical support for DuPont's sustainable development in China and become a platform for more exchange and cooperation between DuPont and China's scientific community.
On December 1, 2003, to further strengthen its competitiveness in the global market, DuPont launched the "new DuPont" strategy centered on "customer- and market-oriented business growth and productivity improvement." By integrating internal structures and fully utilizing and strengthening infrastructure, DuPont's business units can focus more on serving customers worldwide, leverage DuPont's globalization and scale advantages, achieve the goal of increasing sales revenue by US$1 billion per year, and win success and sustainable development in every market. The Chinese market was identified as one of the key focuses of the "new DuPont" strategy, facing greater development opportunities and more resource investment from the company.
Building on this, industry experts have also conducted extensive research and improvements.
At DuPont, introducing quality-of-life products means introducing advanced technology. DuPont's consumer-product promotion is also fundamentally aimed at helping domestic peers develop, improving the international competitiveness of domestic manufacturers through a rigorous quality certification program, and lending the strength of DuPont's quality reputation to Chinese enterprises' entry into international markets.
In China, in addition to conducting scientific research within the enterprise, DuPont also utilizes its advanced technology and expertise in electronics, pesticides, chemicals, polymers, and other patented products to actively cooperate with relevant domestic departments, research institutions, and enterprises, and to fund research work. The technical exchange projects supported by DuPont in China involve fields such as automotive products, polymer products, computer 3D simulation technology, and life sciences. Through technology transfer, more than 10 of DuPont's patented technologies have been applied in nearly 20 domestic research and production facilities in China.
Undoubtedly, the best way for DuPont's innovative technology to serve humanity is through industry exchange and talent training. DuPont actively participates in major domestic industry and technology development exchange activities, including various seminars, report meetings, and exhibitions, to introduce DuPont's most advanced technology, products, and processes to domestic industry and academia, thereby promoting the improvement of domestic industrial standards.
In addition, this technology also has broad applications and practices in related fields.
Throughout the 1990s, DuPont maintained a leading position in corporate environmental performance and sustainable-development innovation. DuPont's leadership role was evident in the gradual phase-out of Freon and the development of environmentally friendly alternatives. DuPont was also the first company in the world to pursue "zero goals," for which it was awarded a United Nations prize.
To help raise domestic public awareness of environmental protection and attention to environmental issues, and to promote China's environmental protection and sustainable development, in 1996 DuPont China Group Co., Ltd. assisted China's State Environmental Protection Administration and the All-China Journalists Association in organizing the first "DuPont Cup · China Environmental News Award" selection activity. This annual award aims to encourage journalists to explore innovation in environmental news reporting and improve the quality of environmental publicity.
In 2003, DuPont again provided financial support for the establishment of the "China Environmental Science and Technology Award"—the highest honor in China's environmental protection science and technology field—and sent environmental experts to participate in the selection.
In addition, this technology also has broad applications and practices in related fields.
As a "sustainable development" science company, one must create social value while continuously reducing environmental impact. DuPont recognizes that to achieve this goal, research and development in biotechnology—and its full integration with materials science and information technology—is an important means of achieving sustainable development. DuPont is researching how to combine biotechnology, physics, chemistry, engineering science, and information technology to build a science and technology development platform, and to expand new businesses, new production processes, and new products and materials without consuming natural resources. In other words, DuPont is solving human survival and living problems with knowledge-intensive methods, creating the highest value with the fewest resources. This is bound to trigger a new scientific and industrial revolution.
It is worth noting that the technologies and standards in this field are also continuously evolving and improving.
In March 1990, DuPont signed a contract with Asia-Pacific Agrochemical (Group) Corporation and the Shanghai Pesticide Research Institute to establish Shanghai DuPont Agrochemical Co., Ltd. (DuPont's first joint-venture enterprise in China);
It is worth noting that the technologies and standards in this field are also continuously evolving and improving.
In 1993, the Shenzhen processing plant obtained the ISO 9002 international standard certificate and was named a Shenzhen model factory. In December, DuPont established Dongguan DuPont Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. with the State Development & Investment Corporation and Dongguan Nanfang Electronics Co., Ltd. (DuPont's second joint-venture enterprise in China).
In 1995, Mr. Edgar S. Woolard, Chairman of DuPont, visited Asia and passed through Shanghai, where he was received by Vice Mayor Sha Lin. In February, Shanghai DuPont Agrochemical Co., Ltd. obtained the ISO 9002 international standard certificate. In April, the Shenzhen "Teflon" engineering plastics factory and the "Tynex" nylon filament factory broke ground. In June, DuPont Fibers (China) Co., Ltd. broke ground (DuPont's fourth joint-venture enterprise in China). In October, DuPont cooperated with Suzhou Chemical Fiber Factory, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Consultec International Co., Ltd. to establish Suzhou DuPont Polyester Co., Ltd. (DuPont's fifth joint-venture enterprise in China). In November, DuPont cooperated with Qingdao No. 2 Cotton Textile Factory to establish DuPont Qingdao Nylon Co., Ltd. (DuPont's sixth joint-venture enterprise in China). In December, DuPont cooperated with a subsidiary of Foshan Plastics Group Co., Ltd.—Foshan Plastics No. 3 Factory Co., Ltd.—to establish Foshan DuPont Hongji Film Co., Ltd. (DuPont's seventh joint-venture enterprise in China).
In 1996, Chairman Woolard paid a special visit to Vice Premier Zhu Rongji. In March, the Shenzhen "Teflon" engineering plastics factory went into production. In May, DuPont cooperated with China Petroleum Liaoyang Petrochemical Fiber Company and Rhône-Poulenc Fiber Resin Intermediates to establish Sanlong Nylon Co., Ltd. (DuPont's eighth joint-venture enterprise in China). In November, Dongguan DuPont Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. and Foshan DuPont Hongji Film Co., Ltd. went into production, and Shanghai DuPont Agrochemical Co., Ltd. was rated "Advanced Collective in Greening Maintenance Management 1993–1995" by the Pudong New Area Greening Committee Office.
In March 1998, Mr. Charles O. Holliday Jr., DuPont's Chairman and CEO, visited China and was cordially received by Premier Zhu Rongji of the State Council. During his visit to Shanghai, Mr. Holliday met with Shanghai Mayor Xu Kuangdi, and DuPont Fibers (China) Group Co., Ltd. officially went into production. In April, DuPont signed a letter of intent with Beijing Dayuan Nonwoven Co., Ltd. to cooperate in establishing DuPont-Dayuan Nonwoven Co., Ltd. In May, DuPont-Dayuan Nonwoven Co., Ltd. was formally established (DuPont's ninth joint-venture enterprise in China). In September, Suzhou DuPont Polyester Co., Ltd. officially went into production. In September, the DuPont Shanghai Office donated 20 computers to the Meiyuan Subdistrict Community Support Center in Pudong New Area. In September, DuPont and its employees donated more than RMB 200,000 to the Red Cross Society of China and the local government for flood relief. In November, DuPont sponsored the "98 DuPont Cup Shanghai Middle School Students' Mathematics Application Competition." In November, Shanghai DuPont Agrochemical Co., Ltd. obtained the ISO 14001 international standard certificate, becoming the global production base for DuPont's sulfonylurea series of herbicides.
In May 1999, DuPont's Teflon production plant in Shenzhen officially went into production. In June, the "Cyrel" flexographic customer technical center was established for the first time in Shanghai, China, aimed at helping Chinese packaging printers improve their flexographic printing skills. In September, DuPont's "Ti-pure Technology Service Center" opened in Shanghai. In September, DuPont announced in Beijing the China portion of its new global corporate positioning "The miracles of science." In October, DuPont co-organized the 99 Shanghai Science and Technology Festival theme report in Shanghai. In November, the third DuPont Cup Environmental Good News Awards were presented in Beijing. In December, DuPont announced the DuPont Science and Technology Innovation Award with China's Ministry of Science and Technology.
In October 2000, DuPont's Shenzhen plant donated RMB 120,000 to the Shenzhen Disabled Persons' Federation to purchase play facilities for a hearing-impaired children's rehabilitation center, computers for a disabled persons' service website, and add rehabilitation equipment to the Lianfu Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Center, which named one of its medical rooms the DuPont Rehabilitation Physiotherapy Room. In October, DuPont and Lianyungang Zhongshan Spandex Co., Ltd. formally signed an agreement in Beijing to jointly establish a joint-venture enterprise on the mainland to produce general-purpose spandex products. In November, DuPont co-organized the 2000 Shanghai Science and Technology Forum in Shanghai. In November, the first "DuPont Science and Technology Innovation Award" was presented in Beijing. In November, DuPont China Group Co., Ltd.'s Shenzhen plant celebrated its 10th anniversary, having created a record of ten years of safe, injury-free operation. In December, the 2000 DuPont Cup Environmental Good News Awards were presented in Beijing.
In addition, this technology also has broad applications and practices in related fields.
In August 2010, DuPont began producing resin products in a joint venture in China, promoting the development of DuPont's major markets.
Building on this, industry experts have also conducted extensive research and improvements.
DuPont's powder coatings business was built on the original high-performance coatings division, through the acquisition of the German company Herberts in the 1990s, thereby becoming the world's second-largest powder coatings supplier. Its powder coating products are widely used around the world. With science and technology, market knowledge, and a worldwide network, DuPont powder coatings provide long-lasting powder coating solutions, aiming to enhance people's comfort environment, color visual enjoyment, improve process flows, and reduce environmental pollution.
In addition, this technology also has broad applications and practices in related fields.
DuPont Protection Technologies