Wednesday

Fascinating Inventor--Stephanie Kwolek--Invented Kevlar

Kwolek was a woman in a man's world in the 1940s when she took a research position at DuPont during World War II. No one had a clue at that time that in 1971, she would discover a liquid crystal polymer solution that would be formed into a light-weight fiber that is five times the strength of steel!

Kevlar is used in fiber-optic cable, tires, suspension bridge cable, safety helmets, and most famously in police and military bulletproof jackets.

She died at age 90 on June 18, 2014. She consulted for Dupont almost until the end and served on both the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences.

See Stephanie's story and interview in this short video.


Source Articles: Fascinating Facts About Stephanie Kwolek; Stephanie Kwolek Inventor of Kevlar; Stephanie's Wikipedia Page.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

2 comments:

  1. Diane Marie ShawMay 6, 2011 at 12:39 PM

    I love hearing stories of successful women. Her quote "I can't think of a greater high thatn inventing something," made me think of writing. I think they are similiar.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Denise Miller HolmesMay 6, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    Yes, I agree. Writers are inventors. Anyone who creates goes through a similar process. Her story is inspiring!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)