In a statement, DuPont CEO and Chairwoman Ellen Kullman described Kwolek, who retired in , as "a creative and determined chemist and a true pioneer for women in science.
Kwolek is the only female employee of DuPont to be awarded the company's Lavoisier Medal for outstanding technical achievement. She was recognized as a "persistent experimentalist and role model. During the "Women in Chemistry" interview, Kwolek recounted the development of Kevlar. She said she found a solvent that was able to dissolve long-chain polymers into a solution that was much thinner and more watery than other polymer solutions.
She persuaded a skeptical colleague to put the solution into a spinneret, which turns liquid polymers into fibers.
The exceptionally tough fibers she produced were five times stronger by weight than steel. So strong, according to friend and former colleague Rita Vasta, that DuPont had to get new equipment to test the tensile strength. Kwolek was careful to take credit for only the initial discovery of the technology that led to the development of Kevlar and credited the work of others involved in the efforts. Spicer and more than 3, other police officers are members of a "Survivors Club" formed by DuPont and the International Association of Chiefs of Police to promote the wearing of body armor.
While Kevlar has become synonymous with protective vests and helmets, it has become a component material in products ranging from airplanes and armored military vehicles to cellphones and sailboats.
Kevlar can be found in spacesuits, baseball bats, notebook computers and underground mining equipment. Aside from protective clothing, the fibre is found in a variety of products, including aeroplanes, mobile phones, and sailboats. Image source, AP. Kwolek invented a liquid crystalline solution that could be spun into the fabric now known as Kevlar. The Kevlar fibre is used by millions of people around the world, like these regular house gloves. The person in charge of the spinning equipment initially refused to spin the first such solution because he feared that the turbidity was caused by the presence of particles that would plug the tiny holes 0.
He was finally persuaded to spin, and much to his surprise, strong, stiff fibers were obtained with no difficulty. Following this breakthrough many fibers were spun from liquid crystalline solutions, including the yellow Kevlar fiber. Morgan, and Joseph L. Rivers Jr. Kevlar has gone on to save lives as a lightweight body armor for police and the military; to convey messages across the ocean as a protector of undersea optical-fiber cable; to suspend bridges with super-strong ropes; and to be used in countless more applications from protective clothing for athletes and scientists to canoes, drumheads, and frying pans.
Kwolek received many awards for her invention of the technology behind Kevlar fiber, including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in , only the fourth woman member of at the time.
Kwolek served as a mentor for other women scientists and participated in programs that introduce young children to science. Fibres, such as nylon, often broke during the testing, but Kwolek was amazed to see that her fibre would not break. After her discovery was made known to her superiors, they immediately established a field of polymer chemistry that had not previously been explored.
It is lightweight, easy-to-use, and ultra protective. They no longer have to feel weighed down by their protective gear. The clothing is lightweight, and thin enough to allow someone to continue to do their activities as they normally would. The protective clothing is often worn by construction workers, road workers, and railroad operators.
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