Stephanie Kwolek | |
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![]() Kwolek in 1986 | |
Born | Stephanie Louise Kwolek July 31, 1923 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | June 18, 2014 Talleyville, Delaware, U.S. | (aged 90)
Education | Carnegie Mellon University |
Known for | Invention of Kevlar |
Awards |
|
Scientific career | |
Fields | Polymer chemistry |
Stephanie Louise Kwolek (/ˈkwoʊlɛk/; July 31, 1923 – June 18, 2014) was an American chemist best known for inventing Kevlar. Her career at the DuPont company spanned more than 40 years.[1] She discovered the first of a family of synthetic fibers of exceptional strength and stiffness: poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide.[1][2]
For her discovery, Kwolek was awarded the DuPont company's Lavoisier Medal for outstanding technical achievement. As of August 2019, she was the only female employee to have received that honor.[3] In 1995 she became the fourth woman to be added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.[4] Kwolek won numerous awards for her work in polymer chemistry, including the National Medal of Technology, the IRI Achievement Award and the Perkin Medal.[5][6]
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