Stephanie Kwolek, inventor of high strength material Kevlar, died at 90. Her invention has saved countless lives as the essential ingredient in body armour
Stephanie Kwolek, the DuPont scientist whose invention, Kevlar, has saved countless lives as the essential ingredient in body armour, died at 90. High strength material , Kevlar was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tyres. Typically it is spun into ropes or fabric sheets that can be used as such or as an ingredient in composite material components.
Currently, Kevlar has many applications, ranging from bicycle tyres and racing sails to body armour because of its high tensile strength-to-weight ratio; by this measure it is five times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis. It is also used to make modern drumheads that withstand high impact. When used as a woven material, it is suitable for mooring lines and other underwater applications.
Kevlar has revolutionised the way the world manufactures items and how durable items are. he most popular and well-known way that Kevlar is used today is in body armour. There are many different forms of body armour that use Kevlar to keep someone safe and protected from small arms fire, large arms fire, and even knives. Kevlar is very lightweight so it is not heavy for someone wearing it. It is thin and fits into a carrier that is specially designed to protect the Kevlar. Kevlar cannot be exposed to direct sunlight. This will cause the fibers to lose their density and thus decrease the protective properties of the Kevlar. Kevlar cannot be exposed to liquid or it will begin to offer less protection, as well. The carriers are specifically designed to carry the Kevlar in the perfect place on someone’s body and to ensure that the Kevlar does not become damaged while it is being worn.