Meet the Inventor of Kevlar: Stephanie Kwolek 

High performance aramid fibers, most notably Kevlar, have saved countless lives worldwide since their creation. Stephanie Kwolek is the woman behind the creation of these fibers. Kwolek was born to a working class Pennsylvania family in 1923.

Her days exploring the woods with her father and documenting plants, animals, and insects they encountered fostered her curiosity in science. Her mother was a prolific homemaker that instilled a passion for sewing and textiles within Kwolek. A bright young woman, Kwolek graduated from the Carnegie Mellon women’s college. 

Following her graduation, she applied for chemist positions at multiple organizations, including the DuPont Company. It was there, she was interviewed by W. Hale Charch, the man who created the process for making cellophane waterproof. To say that she made a lasting impression would be an understatement.

Church told her she would know within two weeks if she got the job. Not one for patience or allowing opportunities to pass by, Kwolek told him she wanted a quicker answer. He had his secretary type up a job offer on the spot. 

Kwolek was enamored by her work at DuPont–so much so that she abandoned her plans of going to medical school, and made chemistry her full time career. She engaged in many projects, including the search for new polymers. 

After years of establishing herself as a chemist, she sought to discover fibers able to perform in extreme conditions. She began this process and accidentally discovered that spinning a specific polymer solution rendered strong, stiff fibers. After this discovery, many fibers were spun from this solution, including Kevlar.

Kevlar has been used from creating strong ropes and frying pans, to being a lifesaving technology for military and law enforcement. Kwolek received many awards for her creation, from induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame to the National Medal of Technology. On her creation, she comments, “I don’t think there’s anything like saving someone’s life to bring you satisfaction and happiness.”

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