Stephanie L. Kwolek
DuPont Company
Inducted 1997
Stephanie L. Kwolek (1923 – 2014) is the discoverer of liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) solutions of aromatic polyamides and fibers based on these materials. This ultimately led to the creation of commercial fibers of exceptional strength and stiffness, the best known of which is Kevlar®, a material used in fragmentation-resistant vests as well as in boats, aircraft, ropes, cables, tires, tennis racquets, skis, and many other high-performance products. Kwolek was also the first woman inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame and is known as one of the leading women scientists.
After graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1946, Kwolek joined the Textile Fibers Department at the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and began research on low-temperature processes for condensation polymers such as polyamides, polyurethanes, polyesters, and polysulfonamides. This research opened new capabilities to process non-melt processable or thermally unstable polymers. In 1964, Kwolek developed the first liquid crystalline solutions of extended chain aromatic polyamides into high-tenacity and modulus fibers that were the foundation of commercial Kevlar® aramid fiber products.
During her 40-year career as a research chemist at the DuPont Company, Kwolek discovered a new polymers class that opened major plastics markets and yielded important benefits for mankind. Today, Kevlar® is used in more than 200 applications, ranging from advanced composites to aerospace components, because of its unmatched strength, stiffness, and lightweight. In its most well-known use, ballistic protective equipment. Kevlar® is credited with saving the lives of thousands of law enforcement officers.
Kwolek is the author or coauthor of 28 publications and the inventor of 16 U.S. patents. She has also received numerous awards for her contributions to the advancement of polymer science, including The National Medal of Women in Technology, the Fred O. Conley Award in Plastics Engineering and Technology from the Society of Plastics Engineers, the American Innovator Award from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the DuPont Lavoisier Medal for technical achievement, and the Perkin Medal, presented by the American Section of the Society of Chemical Industry (1997). In addition to her induction into the Plastics Hall of Fame in 1997, she was inducted into the International Hall of Fame and National Inventors Hall of Fame. Kwolek retired from DuPont in 1986 but continued to work as a consultant for the company and served on the Liquid Crystalline Polymer Committee of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science. Throughout her career and retirement, Kwolek was a mentor for women scientists and was active in programs designed to introduce children to chemistry and science.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic materials, Polymer chemistry