WILMINGTON, DE - DuPont Co. announced an agreement to sell its INVISTA textiles business, formerly DuPont Textiles & Interiors, to Koch Industries Inc.'s KED Fiber Ltd. and KED Fiber L.L.C. subsidiaries for $4.4 billion in cash. Completion of the sale is expected during the first half of 2004, and is subject to regulatory approval.

INVISTA is reported to be the largest integrated fiber and intermediates business in the world, with 2002 revenues of $6.3 billion, 18,000 employees and interests in 50 global manufacturing sites. The business's products for coatings include amines for polyamide powder coatings, waterborne polyurethane systems and epoxy coatings; crosslinkers for epoxy coatings; antifouling additives for marine coatings; curing agents; and other specialty additives.

The purchase will include all of INVISTA's businesses, including the Apparel, Interiors and Industrial, and Intermediates units. Also included are the brands Lycra, Stainmaster, Coolmax, Thermolite, Cordura, Supplex, Tactel, Antron, DBE, and C12, and more than 8,000 patents and significant proprietary intellectual property. Koch said it will integrate its KoSa business and subsidiaries, global manufacturers of commodities and specialty polyester products, into INVISTA.