HIST 10 |
| Stephanie Kwolek is best known as the inventor of Kevlar (used in bulletproof vests, brake pads, etc.), but there is much more to this fourth woman inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (1995). Kwolek graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology (1946) in Pittsburgh, PA, and sought temporary employment at the DuPont Company. She did not leave until her retirement (1986). Kwolek's earliest work was developing low-temperature processes for the preparation of condensation polymers, resulting in hundreds of new materials. Next, she worked in the area of stronger, stiffer liquid crystal polymers, e.g., Kevlar. Kwolek became an expert in research on synthetic polymeric materials with great strength. Kwolek was known for her careful, persistent, conscientious approach to research. As a result, her name is on 17 patents from 1961-86. In addition, Kwolek is noted as a mentor for other women scientists and a participant in programs that introduce young children to science. |
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Women Chemists in the National Inventors' Hall of Fame: Telling Their Stories
1:30 PM-4:45 PM, Sunday, April 6, 2008 Marriott Convention Center -- Fulton, Oral
Division of the History of Chemistry |