DuPont has provided further details of a multi-phase production expansion for its Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) product line. This phase of the expansion represents more than $120 million in investment, which increases the capacity of monomer and resin used in producing Tedlar films by over 50 per cent.
Tedlar films serve as the backsheet component for photovoltaic modules, providing long term durability in all weather conditions. DuPont is anticipating that the photovoltaic market will expand rapidly over the next several years and that sales of its family of products into the photovoltaic industry will exceed $1 billion by 2012.
Site selection for this phase of the expansion are complete and construction has begun on the new monomer and resin facilities at the Louisville, Kentucky and Fayetteville, North Carolina sites. They are expected to start production in mid-2010.
Tedlar is widely recognised as the industry standard for photovoltaic backsheets due to its excellent strength, weather resistance, UV resistance and moisture barrier properties. Tedlar films are also used in key applications for aerospace, construction and graphics arts.
