The demand for products containing para-aramid and high
performance polyethylene (HPPE) fibres is growing rapidly.
Worldwide, growth in usage is estimated at around 10% per annum.
In Asia it is growing by as much as 13% a year, and in China alone
by 18% a year.
The main competitors in the market for para-aramid fibres are
DuPont Kevlar and Teijin Twaron whereas Honeywell's Spectra and
DSM Dyneema compete in the market for HPPE fibres.
The initial development-and subsequent expansion-of these products
has been driven to a great extent by their incorporation in ballistic
protection materials which are used by the military and by law
enforcement agencies worldwide. The first of the four fibres to be
introduced for this purpose was Kevlar, in the early 1960s. However,
one of the fastest growing fibre types is HPPE or high modulus
polyethylene (HMPE)-which is made from ultra-high molecular
weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) polymer. These fibres are used to
protect personnel, as well as vehicles and cockpit doors. HPPE is also
employed in a number of non-ballistic end use products.
All four rank among the most advanced and highest cost fibre brands
for technical applications, and all are highly prized by their respective
owners. Indeed, production expansions have been announced in each
of the past five years. However, the four brands are still manufactured
solely in the high wage regions of Europe, Japan and the USA, and
are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. | 
