Stephanie Kwolek Invented Kevlar®

Stephanie Kwolek didn't set out to be an inventor. She originally wanted to be a fashion designer. Inspired by her mother's love for fashion, Kwolek's childhood was spent drawing clothes and sewing creations.

But her father also encouraged within her an interest in science, math and nature. When Kwolek developed an interest in math and science in school, her teachers were equally encouraging and discussed with her careers in math and science.

While attending high school, Kwolek decided to go into the field of medicine. She majored in chemistry while attending a women's college. But when it came time to go to medical school, Kwolek was in need of money. So she went in search of employment.

Kwolek interviewed for several positions, including one at DuPont. At the end of the interview, she was informed it would be a few weeks before she knew of her possible employment. In a bold leap Kwolek said, "I wonder if you could tell me sooner, because I have some companies requesting that I give them an answer whether I will accept their offers or not."[1] This was one time boldness paid off. Kwolek was hired on the spot as a chemist.

Once she began her work at DuPont, Kwolek became so immersed with her job that she never again thought about going to medical school.

The discovery of Kevlar® was what was known as a "happy accident." Kwolek was responsible for working with polymers that may have possible commercial uses. This consisted of mixing solutions to determine their reaction, then placing those solutions into a spinneret to determine what types of fibers and other results those solutions produced.

One day she mixed a solvent to dissolve a polymer which resulted in an unusual mixture, the mixture separated into two layers with two different characteristics: one layer was clear and yellow, the other cloudy and shiny and it wasn't thick like previous mixtures had been. This mixture was then spun which created fibers from the mixture. The fibers were found to be tough and resilient but also lightweight.

Before these fibers could be marketed, patents had to be issued and the product developed. It was ten years before Kevlar® was used in bullet-proof vests.

A Kevlar® vest only weighs two and a half pounds, even though it contains several layers of Kevlar®. Yet it is sturdy enough to stop a .38 caliber bullet from ten feet away. Among its many other uses are fiber-optic cables, helmets, boat hulls and airplane parts.

Kwolek is the sole holder of 7 patents and her name is on a total of 16 patents. She won a publication award from the American Chemical Society and has written for 28 scientific publications.

Though retired, she remains active with DuPont company as a consultant and serves on the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences. She also gives lectures when she isn't gardening or sewing.

Source:
[1] InnovativeLives