Tell us about your company’s products & services?

DuPont as a company dedicated to safety and innovation tries to constantly help workers in keeping them safe from on-the-job hazards. From emergency response teams and police officers to laboratory technicians or frontline workers in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance, DuPont provides science-based solutions that address this need for protection. We apply real-world experience as owners and operators of industrial manufacturing facilities around the world — offering workers science-based solutions of personal protective equipment (PPE)  such as some of the most trusted and innovative brands in the industry like DuPont™ Tyvek® and DuPont™ Tychem® apparel for chemical, biological and particulate protection. Today DuPont is recognised as the reference for chemical protective clothing with a range including thousands of SKU covering need for garments and accessories used as workwear, for all levels of chemical protection and up to gas tight protection.

What are its applications?

DuPont™ Tyvek® coveralls are used across a wide range of industries, where they help provide reliable protection against a broad range of hazards including lead, asbestos, mould or light splashes of water-based chemicals in low concentration. They also protect sensitive processes from contamination from humans, are extremely low-linting and silicon-free . The ergonomic design of coveralls helps keep workers safe and effective when the going gets rough.

Mining:
Generally in mining processes DuPont™ Tyvek® is used in the extraction area then for the purification processes where the raw materials are separated from all undesirable substances or further refined. Several toxic chemicals are involved, this is where DuPont™ Tychem® garments are used .  At the very end when pure metal is packaged Tyvek® coveralls are used again.

What makes the product unique?
Tyvek® is a unique nonwoven fabric that comes with inherent protection that’s engineered right in. There are no films, and no laminates that can abrade or wear away over time – Tyvek® is maintaining wearer protection during use. It is a unique and versatile material that is tough, yet extremely light and soft. Tyvek® is permeable to both air and water vapour, yet repels water-based liquids and aerosols. It acts as an excellent barrier against particles and fibres and is therefore highly appreciated in dusty environment that you have in the mining sector . It is low-linting and also antistatically treated. Most important features of Tyvek® are:  protection, thanks to  good particle holdout due to its structure of extremely fine, continuous fibres;  durability which enables the coverall to remain intact under controlled movement conditions as described in chemical protective clothing norms and, therefore, maintain protection levels throughout application; and last but not least comfort of usage, thanks to the breathable fabric.

Where was the product developed?

Tyvek® is a spunbond polyethylene material developed and manufactured by DuPont.
The history of Tyvek® begins in 1955 when Jim White, a DuPont researcher, noticed white polyethylene fluff coming out of a pipe in a DuPont experimental lab. After examining this material, it was found to have some very interesting properties. A program to develop the new material was set up and a year later DuPont submitted a patent proposal for strong yarn linear polyethylene. It took several more years for research teams to perfect the manufacturing process for what was to become a new engineered sheet structure from DuPont. The manufacturing process was based on the flash-spinning technology invented by DuPont scientist Herbert Blades.

Early History of Tyvek®

During the early history of Tyvek®, a pilot facility was established in 1959 for trial applications such as book covers, tags, labels and certain garments. In 1965, the new engineered sheet structure was registered under the trademark name Tyvek® and construction of a new manufacturing building began at the DuPont Spruance facility in Richmond, Virginia (US). A.

Has the product been imported or manufactured locally?  

Tyvek® and Tychem® garments are imported into South Africa. It is sold by distributors in the country.

On which projects, if any, has the product been used successfully?

Tyvek®  is used in a broad range of applications and there are numerous success stories of using coveralls made of Tyvek(r) fabric.  Many industrial workers handling volatile chemicals or heat and flame hazards rely on innovative personal protective equipment solutions from DuPont. Here are some examples of sucessfull usage of DuPont™ Tyvek® coveralls:

Police - Crime Scene Protection
For over 40 years, DuPont, manufacturer of protective materials Tyvek®, Tychem® has worked with emergency services the world over to help provide protective clothing solutions for a diverse range of applications. Now that even the smallest amount of biometric evidence can affect a prosecution, the prevention of crime scene contamination by evidence gatherers is critical if the evidence chain is to stand up in court. Lightweight, breathable coveralls made of DuPont™ Tyvek®are therefore used extensively by South African Police Services Forensic Department to help provide two-way protection in crime scene investigations.

Sasol – DuPont(tm)  Tychem® F range has successfully kept thousands of workers safe on a daily basis, from high risk chemicals used in the petrochemical processes, and by ensuring that staff has been trained correctly on the DuPont donning and doffing procedures, DuPont products continue to keep workers safe to reach their loved ones every day without any harm.

Anglo Platinum Mines – Health risks associated with platinum dust, have been eliminated with complete protection throughout the whole shift by using Tyvek® garments, as well as stringent donning and doffing procedures that have to be followed.

Examples Outside South Africa

Energiewerke Nord GmbH (EWN)  -  demolition of the decommissioned nuclear power plant
For over ten years now, Energiewerke Nord GmbH (EWN) has been relying on Tyvek® protective coveralls from DuPont to protect its staff during demolition of the decommissioned nuclear power plant at Lubmin on the Baltic coast. The coveralls, initially Tyvek® Classic but more recently its successor Tyvek® Classic Xpert, are used wherever staff may come into contact with solid airborne particles, hazardous liquid substances and residual radioactive particles. They meet the requirements applicable to Category III chemical protective clothing, Types 5 (particle-tight) and Type 6 (limited splash protection), and to protective clothing against radioactive contamination (EN 1073-2:2002, Class 2/3).

DuPont™ Tyvek® provides a legacy of protection at Severfield Reeve
For over 30 years Severfield Reeve has been facilitating the production of a wide range of steelwork development, including basic structural work and complex engineering projects, with over 1,200 employees across the UK. Recent projects include the 2012 London Olympic Stadiums, the Shard and the London ‘Cheesegrater’.

Towards the end of the fabrication process, each item of steel has to be coated in a spray of industrial paint, a job that can be both messy and hazardous if workers are not adequately protected. The most common use of industrial paint is for corrosion control of the steel structures, as well as fire resistance and aesthetic purposes, and is an integral step in the process of steel fabrication for Severfield Reeve. Chemicals within the industrial paints can permeate the skin and increase the quantity of chemicals in the blood. Paint can also cause irritation, burns and occupational dermatitis if skin is exposed.

Over the past 16 years Severfield Reeves has been providing its employees with protective coveralls made from DuPont™ Tyvek® to protect both the workers and the paint during the paint spraying process. Shaun Watson, Stores Manager at Severfield Reeve, explains, “Each day our employees are working in large industrial scale hangars, moving up and down the building alongside huge pieces of steel and spraying each section with paint. Paints used in the steel industry contain additives which could present significant risks to our workers, if they are exposed to the spray. It is vital that our employees are protected from these harmful substances. At the same time, it is really important that the paint process is conducted in a clean environment, free from dust, lint and other fibres that may be found in our employees clothing.  So the coveralls have a dual purpose, protecting people from exposure to hazardous chemicals at the same time as protecting the process from contamination.”