Kevlar Chemist Stephanie Kwolek Dies Aged 90

Today we hear of the passing of the materials chemist Stephanie Kwolek, responsible for discovering the high-strength low-weight fibre commonly known by its trademark name Kevlar.

After living through World War Two, Stephanie was hired by DuPont, and reportedly kept quiet about her 1965 discovery until she had exhaustively scrutinised the substance to be certain of what she’d found.

Kevlar has been an astounding commercial success, due in no small part to its versatility. It can be found in a wide range of equipment and products, from military and self-protective applications such as armour and motorcycle jackets, to sporting products such as bicycle tires and paragliders, and to more obscure applications such as lining frying pans, fire-poi, and even experiments in particle physics.

For more about the life of Stephanie Kwolek, please read this article on the Telegraph website.
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