| Stephanie Kwolek | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 31, 1923 New Kensington, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Residence | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Organic chemistry |
| Institutions | DuPont |
| Known for | Kevlar |
| Notable awards | National Medal of Technology Perkin Medal |
Stephanie Louise Kwolek (born July 31, 1923) is an Polish-American chemist who invented poly-paraphenylene terephtalamide—better known as Kevlar. She was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Kwolek has won numerous awards for her work in polymer chemistry.
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Early life and education
Kwolek was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, in 1923.[1] Her father, John Kwolek,[1] died when she was ten years old.[2] Kwolek attributes her interest in science to him and an interest in fashion to her mother, Nellie Zajdel Kwolek.[1][2] In 1946, Kwolek earned a degree in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University (then known as Margaret Morrison Carnegie College).[2] Kwolek had planned on becoming a doctor and hoped that a temporary job in a chemistry-related field could earn her enough money to go to medical school.[2]
DuPont career
As World War Two had just ended and not enough well-educated men were available in 1946 to take the positions at DuPont, Hale Charch, a future mentor to Kwolek, offered her a position at DuPont's Buffalo, New York facility[3] as soon as he met her.[2] Though Kwolek initially only intended to work for DuPont only temporarily, she found the work interesting enough to stay and not pursue a medical career. Kwolek moved to Wilmington, Delaware in 1950 to continue to work for DuPont.[3] In 1959, won a publication award from the American Chemical Society (ACS).[4]
Kevlar
While working for DuPont, Kwolek invented Kevlar.[2] In anticipation of a gas shortage, in 1964 her group began searching for a new lightweight strong fiber to use for light but strong tires.[2] The polymers she had been working with at the time, poly-p-Phenylene-terephthalate and polybenzamide,[5] formed liquid crystal while in solution, something unique to those polymers at the time.[2] The solution was "cloudy, opalescent upon being stirred, and of low viscosity" and usually was thrown away. However, Kwolek persuaded the technician who ran the "spinneret" to test her solution, and was amazed to find that the fiber did not break, unlike nylon. Both her supervisor and laboratory director understood the significance of her discovery and a new field of polymer chemistry quickly arose. By 1971, modern Kevlar was introduced.[2] However, Kwolek was not very involved in developing the applications of Kevlar.[6]
Retirement
In 1986, Kwolek retired as a research associate for DuPont. However, she still consults for DuPont, and also serves on both the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences.[3] During her 40 years as a research scientist, she filed and received either 17[6] or 28 patents.[7] In 1995,[3][7] she became the fourth woman to be added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.[8] In 1996, she received the National Medal of Technology, and in 2003, she was added to the National Women's Hall of Fame.[1] She received the 1997 Perkin Medal from the American Chemical Society,[9] and a 1980 award from the ACS for "Creative Invention".[5]
References
- ^ a b c d "Stephanie Kwolek". Soylent Communications. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nndb.com%2Fpeople%2F847%2F000165352%2F&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Inventing Modern America: Insight — Stephanie Kwolek:". Lemelson-MIT program. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.mit.edu%2Finvent%2Fwww%2Fima%2Fkwolek_bio.html&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Invent Now". National Inventors Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.invent.org%2Fhall_of_fame%2F90.html&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ Rossiter, Margaret W. (1998). Women Scientists in America. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 267. ISBN 0801857112. http://books.google.com/books?id=i7xDqk0_HTQC&pg=PA570&dq=Stephanie+Louise+Kwolek&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=100&as_brr=3&as_pt=BOOKS&ei=seYYSrO1NY-6ygSUooybCQ#PPA267,M1. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ a b "Stephanie Louise Kwolek Biography". Bookrags. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookrags.com%2Fbiography%2Fstephanie-louise-kwolek-woi%2F&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ a b Quinn, Jim. ""I was able to be Creative and work as hard as I wanted."". American Heritage Publishing. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanheritage.com%2Farticles%2Fmagazine%2Fit%2F2003%2F3%2F2003_3_60.shtml&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ a b "The History of Kevlar — Stephanie Kwolek:". The New York Times Company. About.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Finventors.about.com%2Flibrary%2Finventors%2Fblkevlar.htm&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ "Citation conferring an Honorary Doctor of Science degree on Stephanie Louise Kwolek:". University of Delaware. UDaily. May 31, 2008. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.udel.edu%2FPR%2FUDaily%2F2008%2Fmay%2Fkwolek053108.html&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ "JCE Online: Biographical Snapshots: Snapshot". American Chemical Society. Journal of Chemical Education. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjchemed.chem.wisc.edu%2FJCEWWW%2Ffeatures%2FeChemists%2FBios%2FKwolek.html&date=2009-05-24. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
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