Stephanie Kwolek

Stephanie Kwolek
Kwolek in 1986
Born
Stephanie Louise Kwolek

(1923-07-31)July 31, 1923
New Kensington, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJune 18, 2014(2014-06-18) (aged 90)
Talleyville, Delaware, U.S.
EducationCarnegie Mellon University
Known forInvention of Kevlar
Awards
  • Howard N. Potts Medal (1976)
  • Chemical Pioneer Award (1980)
  • Lavoisier Medal (1995)
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame (1995)
  • National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1996)
  • IRI Achievement Award (1997)
  • Perkin Medal (1997)
  • National Women's Hall of Fame (2003)
Scientific career
FieldsPolymer chemistry

Stephanie Louise Kwolek (/ˈkwoʊlɛk/; July 31, 1923 – June 18, 2014) was an American chemist best known for inventing Kevlar (poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide). Her career at the DuPont company spanned more than 40 years.[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]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference chf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ U.S. patent 3,819,587 Wholly Aromatic Carbocyclic Polycarbonamide Fiber. Kevlar patent awarded in 1974 to Stephanie Kwolek.
  3. ^ Dan Samorodnitsky, "Meet Stephanie Kwolek, the woman who gave us bulletproof vests and yoga pants" Massive Science, July 31, 2019.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference UDelaware was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference OralHistory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "SCI Perkin Medal". Science History Institute. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
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