Stephanie L. Kwolek, the DuPont chemist primarily credited with the invention of Kevlar, died today at the age of 90. Nearly fifty years ago, in 1965, she created a cloudy liquid polymer solution that seemed to be a disappointment at first. When spun into a fiber, however, the resulting material was incredibly strong and lightweight — pound for pound, it was five times stronger than steel. And it was fire resistant, to boot. Her discovery ultimately led to Kevlar fabric, though DuPont spent 15 years and $500 million developing the product and finding uses for the life-saving material.
Today, Kevlar is best known for its use in protective body armor and helmets worn by police officers and the military. DuPont estimates that the material...
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