The Creation of Kevlar

Photo By Cpl. Erik Villagran | Cpl. Daniel M. Greenwald, an assaultman from Rockland County, N.Y. attached to F Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 holds up the Kevlar helmet that saved his life. He was shot in the head by an insurgent sniper while conducting a vehicle checkpoint. He escaped with only a minor gash on his forehead.  

NORFOLK, VA, UNITED STATES

03.24.2023

Story by Cpl. Angel Alvarado 

Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command

WILMINGTON, Del.— Between live rounds, mortars, and Improvised Explosive Devices no one can predict the outcome of combat. Since the U.S. Marine Corps adopted the synthetic fiber Kevlar, Marines have been closer to safety than ever before. Kevlar-lined jackets and helmets have saved a Marine from stray bullets on countless occasions. This anti-ballistic innovation has maneuvered into every Marine’s regime and continues to be used during annual rifle qualification and training exercises. This raises the question; where did the life-saving design originate?

Stephanie Kwolek, a native of New Kingston, Pennsylvania, was raised by a seamstress mother and naturalist father. Her father taught her math and botany before he passed away when Kwolek was only 10 years old. Her mother spent time with her threading patterns and sewing textiles, passing on her knowledge and skill.

Kwolek claimed, “I used her sewing machine when she wasn’t around; it was fun, and it was creative, and it gave me a great deal of satisfaction” (Oral history interview with Stephanie L. Kwolek (1998).

Her parents' foundation of creativity and science became the lily pad she springs off of to a revolutionary discovery.

Kwolek graduated from Margaret Morrison Carnegie College in 1946 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and aspirations to further her education in the medical industry. Despite the scholarships she received, Kwolek still couldn't afford medical school. As a temporary solution, Kwolek worked at DuPont laboratories as a research assistant in order to develop the means to continue her education. At this time the DuPont research team was developing a new fiber to replace steel wire.

"I was very fortunate that I worked under men who were very much interested in making discoveries and inventions,” Kwolek continued, “They were very much interested in what they were doing, and they left me alone. So I was able to experiment on my own, and I found this very stimulating. It appealed to the creative person in me" (Oral history interview with Stephanie L. Kwolek (1998).

Staying in the chemistry field at DuPont was not Kwolek's original intention, although she relished in the freedom of her independence. It was just before World War II when DuPont chemists discovered nylon, influencing the company's drive for synthetic textile discoveries during the postwar era. In 1971, Kwolek was manipulating extended-chain polymers which require spinning. Spinning is a process in which a liquid polymer is extruded through small holes in order to create solid fibers. The spinneret operator refused to work with Kwolek, claiming her solutions were too cloudy to extrude successfully. After some discussion he reluctantly agreed to spin Kwolek’s concoctions which would later become one of the most common synthetic fibers used in today's military: Kevlar.

"I was working with these very long chains…we spun it and it spun beautifully.” Kwolek recalls, “It became very strong and very stiff – unlike anything we had made before. I knew that I had made a discovery. I didn't shout ‘Eureka!’ but I was very excited, as was the whole laboratory excited, and management was excited because we were looking for something new. Something different. And this was it" (Oral history interview with Stephanie L. Kwolek (1998).

The fully extended and perfectly aligned molecular chains of Kevlar allowed the fibers to catch high-velocity rounds while dissipating their energy upon impact. Its reputation became synonymous with “bullet-proof material.”

During WWI the U.S. Marine Corps began producing and fielding the M1917 steel helmet. The newly established helmets were designed to protect Marines from overhead shell fragments; however, they reflected moonlight allowing their position to be spotted by enemy combatants. In WWII the U.S. Marine Corps transitioned to the M-1 steel helmet due to its stability as well as adding cotton camouflage covers to improve concealment. It wasn’t until the Vietnam War the U.S. Marine Corps incorporated flak jackets to ensure Marine's safety while deployed in active combat zones. The Marines wore M1955 flak vests which featured fiberglass plates, furthering progression in ballistic protection.

With every war came new improvements for personal protective equipment but there was not a design that provided full protection against projectiles until the creation of Kevlar. By the mid-1980s, the revolutionary material was adopted by all U.S. military branches. The new Kevlar helmets and vests were called Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops, protecting Marines during the Gulf War and contributing to service members seeing home once again.

“Not long ago, I got to meet some troopers whose lives had been saved.” Kwolek continued, “They came with their wives, their children, their parents. It was a very moving occasion” (Oral history interview with Stephanie L. Kwolek (1998)).

Not only has Kevlar saved lives on the battlefield, but it has also contributed to the lives of average Americans. Kevlar has been used to create heat-resistant gloves, durable running shoes, and bicycle tires that won't falter under immense abrasion. Kwolek’s innate curiosity and persistent experimentation led to a revolutionary discovery that has contributed to society for generations.

Kwolek remarked, “I tell young people to reach for the stars. I can't think of a greater high than you could possibly get from inventing something. All sorts of things can happen when you’re open to new ideas and playing around with things" (Oral history interview with Stephanie L. Kwolek (1998).



References

National Academies Press (US). (2014, March 31). 2 evolution of combat helmets based - National Center for Biotechnology ... Review of Department of Defense Test Protocols for Combat Helmets. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224907/
B., S., 23, D. M., Deborah, Kathie, & Ruth. (2016, May 18). Stephanie Kwolek: A great woman in sewing: Whipstitch. Whipstitch | modern sewing. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://whip-stitch.com/stephanie-kwolek-a-great-woman-in-sewing/
Common threads: Marine Corps. U.S. Department of Defense. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Common-Threads/Common-Threads-Marine-Corps/
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2022, July 27). Stephanie Kwolek. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephanie-Kwolek
Kwolek, Stephanie L. National Women's Hall of Fame. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/stephanie-l-kwolek/
Oral history interview with Stephanie L. Kwolek (1998). Science History Institute Digital Collections. (1998, March 21). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/vh53ww75r

• Date Taken: 03.24.2023
• Date Posted: 04.21.2023 11:15
• Story ID: 441654
• Location: NORFOLK, VA, US
• Hometown: WILMINGTON, DE, US