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Kevlar, a lightweight fiber that is five times stronger than steel, was invented by a DuPont chemist named Stephanie Kwolek. The material is now used in the bulletproof body armor worn by the U.S. military and law enforcement officers, as well as in dozens of products including canoe hulls, skis, tires, and sports equipment. Kwolek, a researcher in DuPont's fiber research group, was looking for the successor to popular consumer
products like nylon. An attempt to dissolve two polymers resulted in an incredibly strong but lightweight new substance. As Kwolek explains, "Fibers are tested for tensile strength, elongation at break, and stiffness. I had the as-spun fibers tested, and the results came back with extraordinary numbers." Her discovery led to a whole new field of polymer research. The material was first marketed by DuPont in 1971 and has since become a standard manufacturing material. Kwolek, a legendary figure in her field, has earned 17 patents and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1995.
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