Introduction to the three major well-known U.S. chemical companies

★ Dow Chemical: Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Michigan, USA, Dow specializes in advanced materials, specialty chemicals, coatings, and silicones. Its products serve markets including packaging, food, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, personal and home care, infrastructure, automotive maintenance, and electronics. Dow serves customers in 175 countries across multiple industries. Dow Chemical (China) Investment Co., Ltd. was established in 1998 to oversee all of Dow’s investment projects in China. In 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas for $18.8 billion, expanding its presence in the specialty chemicals market. In 2015, Dow merged with DuPont to form DowDuPont, which later split into independent companies; Dow resumed independent operations thereafter. In 2016, Dow completed the privatization and integration of Dow Corning into DowDuPont, acquiring full ownership of Dow Corning. Dow Corning was originally a joint venture equally owned by Dow Chemical and Corning Incorporated, headquartered in Michigan, USA. It focuses on exploring and developing applications of silicones and is now a global leader in silicone technology and innovation. Dow Corning established its first manufacturing facility in Songjiang, Shanghai, in 1997, followed by another in Jiangsu Province. It allocates approximately 4–5% of its annual sales revenue to R&D and holds over 5,000 active patents worldwide. It operates 45 production and warehousing facilities globally and employs approximately 10,000 people. In 2018, its silicone business and brand were rebranded as DOWSIL™ and continue operations worldwide. ★ DuPont: Founded in 1802 and headquartered in Delaware, USA, DuPont produced its first batch of black powder in spring 1804. By 1820, it had become the U.S. government’s largest supplier of gunpowder. In 1935, DuPont invented nylon, a groundbreaking synthetic fiber. In 1981, it acquired Conoco Inc. In 1997, it acquired a stake in Pioneer Hi-Bred International. By the end of the 20th century, DuPont focused heavily on R&D, driving innovation in agriculture, polymers, and chemicals. In 2024, it completed the acquisition of Donatelle Plastics. Today, DuPont operates in over 90 countries and regions, serving sectors such as agriculture and food, building and construction, communications and transportation, energy, and bio-applications, with well-known brands including DuPont™, Styrofoam™, and TapTec™.

From pantyhose to non-stick cookware to protective clothing: How has DuPont, America’s century-old chemical giant, conquered the world through materials?

In 1802, French immigrant E. I. du Pont founded a gunpowder mill along the Brandywine River near Wilmington, Delaware, with an initial capital of $36,000. During the American Civil War, DuPont supplied gunpowder primarily to the Union Army—earning its first substantial profits. But DuPont’s ambitions extended far beyond gunpowder. Entering the 20th century, it quickly recognized the limitations of relying solely on explosives. After accumulating foundational capital through arms trading, DuPont strategically expanded into chemistry and materials science—a pivotal turning point that laid the groundwork for its future success. In the 1920s and 1930s, DuPont achieved breakthroughs in polymer research, yielding a series of revolutionary inventions. The most iconic among them was nylon, introduced in the 1930s. This invention not only transformed the textile industry—sparking a global hosiery craze—but also cemented DuPont’s reputation as a scientific innovation powerhouse, bringing immense prestige and wealth. After World War II, DuPont continued its innovation momentum. The golden age of synthetic fibers arrived, producing polyester (Dacron®, widely known in China as ‘Dekelang’) and Teflon™—a material that revolutionized kitchenware. DuPont’s name became virtually synonymous with ‘innovative materials.’ 02 DuPont’s Famous ‘Black-Tech’ Material Portfolio For those attentive to fashion and everyday life, DuPont’s most celebrated contributions lie in its suite of ‘black-tech’ materials. Among the following commonly encountered textile material names, at least one is surely familiar to you. These household-name brands collectively define DuPont’s ‘Golden Age’ and ‘Dream Team’ in materials science. Their inventions not only shaped industrial development but also fundamentally altered people’s clothing experiences and habits. 03 Why Did DuPont ‘Sell Off’ These Star Brands? As shown in the table above, many star brands—including LYCRA®, COOLMAX®, and CORDURA®—are no longer under DuPont’s ownership. Why? In 2004, DuPont packaged its large-scale Textiles & Interiors business unit as INVISTA and sold it for $4.4 billion to Koch Industries, another U.S. company. Consequently, brands once proudly associated with DuPont—including LYCRA®, COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, and CORDURA®—all changed hands alongside INVISTA. ‘After restructuring INVISTA, Koch sold the majority stakes in its Apparel & Advanced Textiles business—including the LYCRA® brand—to Shandong Ruyi Group in 2017. Following the 2019 transaction’s completion, the entity was renamed The LYCRA Company. However, due to Ruyi’s debt default, The LYCRA Company underwent creditor-led restructuring—an entirely separate story, which we’ll set aside for now and perhaps revisit later.’ Officially, this divestiture marked a critical step in DuPont’s strategic transformation. Why package and sell the business? Ultimately, it boiled down to low gross margins in the textile fiber business.

DuPont de Nemours, Inc. $DD Shares Sold by Corient Private Wealth LP

5 days ago

Corient Private Wealth LP reduced its stake in DuPont de Nemours by 66.8% in Q2 2026, despite the company reporting strong earnings of $1.88 EPS and announcing a $0.60 quarterly dividend.

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