Kevlar (para-aramid fibre)
Kevlar (poliaramida)
- Date
- 1965 · confidence high
- Place
- DuPont, Wilmington, Delaware, United States
- Credited to
- Stephanie Kwolek (DuPont); commercialised in 1971
- People
- 👤 Stephanie Kwolek1923–2014
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
A polymer fibre five times stronger than steel by weight, obtained from a liquid-crystal solution. It is the material of bulletproof vests, tyres and fibre-optic cables.
What it led to
- Bulletproof vests that have saved thousands of police and soldiers' lives
- Steel-free radial tyres and lightweight sails and helmets
- High-performance composite materials
Built on
- Zeglen's silk bulletproof vestc. 1897
- Nylon1935–1939
- Nomex (flame-resistant meta-aramid)1961
- liquid-crystal polymer chemistry
Made possible
- lightweight helmets
- reinforcement of optical fibre cables