KEVLAR

By: 7B Group 6Jeremy GemzontanJan Hobie Sinfuego

Rafael TanDwight Ong

Miguel Pingol

KEVLAR

• Kevlar was created by Stephanie Kwolek, a researcher at DuPont Company.

• Made of polymer.• Used for bulletproof vests,

underwater cables, brake linings, space vehicles, boats and parachutes.

KEVLAR

•Has a tensile strength-to-weight ratio that is 5 times stronger than steel.

•Is lightweight, making it a very useful material for many things.

POLYMER

•Polymer is a large molecule that is made of repeated structural units.

•Polymer is not only limited to plastics but actually covers many different materials.

Physical Properties

• Kevlar does not have a melting point as the polymer disintegrates before it can melt.

• Very strong, 5 times stronger than steel in fact.

• Has a density of 1.44.• It insulates electricity.• It also insulates heat.

PRODUCTION

• A variety of chemicals are mixed together to which it will form a liquid-crystalline behavior.

• The chemical is then spun and waved with fibers to make a form of fabric which can then be cut and formed into different things.

PRODUCTION

• Producing Kevlar is very expensive because Kevlar is very hard to cut and weave and since it is 5 times stronger than steel.

• That means that to cut it, they need a material that is equal or greater than the strength of Kevlar.

STEPHANIE KWOLEK

• Was born in New Kingston, Pennsylvania in 1923.

• Graduated in 1946 from Carnegie-Mellon University.

• Invented Kevlar in the early 1960s.• DuPont Company started developing it

in 1965.• Inducted into the National Inventors

Hall of Face in 1995.

TIMELINE• 1965   Stephanie Kwolek, a DuPont research scientist, develops

Kevlar® by spinning fiber from liquid crystalline solutions.• 1970   DuPont research scientist Herb Blades develops the

revolutionary air gap spinning process, which enables large-scale production of Kevlar® brand fiber.

• 1971   DuPont begins producing Kevlar® in large quantities in Richmond, VA.

• 1975   First field trial of body armor made with DuPont™ Kevlar® conducted with police officers and sponsored by the National Institute of Justice.

• 1975    First officer inducted into the IACP/DuPont™ Kevlar Survivors' Club®

• 1978  DuPont™ Kevlar® adopted by the U.S. Army for use in flak jackets and PASGT helmets .

• 1981   The U.S. Military specifies that protective apparel be worn by its personnel; most of this protective apparel contains Kevlar®.

• 1982   The U.S. Military makes its first major purchase of the PASGT Vest , which provides extraordinary protection against fragments.

TIMELINE• 1985    The U.S. Military purchases the PASGT Helmet , at the time the

best armor available for protection against fragmentation, heat and flame.

• 1987   The U.S. Military places a major order for the CVC Vest because it offers superior ballistic protection from spall and fragmentation and does not melt or support combustion in air.

• 1988   The U.S. Military purchases a large number of CVC Helmets .• 1991   In the Gulf War, most U.S. combat soldiers wore a helmet made of

DuPont™ Kevlar®. The PASGT Vests worn by the military played a critical role in reducing the number of casualties during Desert Storm.

• 1993    Fragmentation- and bullet- resistant Ranger Vests help save the lives of military personnel stationed in Somalia.

• 1994   Countermine and Bomb Suits containing fabric made with DuPont™ Kevlar® help protect U.S. Army personnel serving in Somalia and Bosnia.

• 1995   DuPont™ Kevlar® Correctional™ introduced – first 100% soft woven fabric for stab protection in corrections institutions.

• 1997   The U.S. military makes its first major purchase of the Advanced CVC Helmet which in provides both bump and fragmentation protection.  First commercial adoption of  DuPont™ Kevlar® Correctional™ by New Jersey Correctional Institution.

TIMELINE• 1998   The U.S. military makes its first major purchase of

the Interceptor Vest . Even in extreme environmental conditions, this vest provides exceptional protection against a range of fragments and handgun bullets.

• 1999   The U.S. Navy purchases the Navy Flak Vest, designed to help protect personnel above deck against flame and fragmentation.

• 2000   The U.S. military makes its first major purchase of the MICH Helmet, which helps protect special operations personnel who must wear extensive communications equipment.

• 2002   Interceptor Body Armor , also known as the Outer Tactical Vest, is credited with holding down casualties in Afghanistan.

• 2004   Interceptor II Outer Tactical Vest developed for lighter weight protection in Iraq.

• 2005   New Advanced Combat Helmet made with Kevlar® begins procurement.  DuPont™ Kevlar® Comfort XLT™ vest technology adopted by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

• 2006  Officer Cory Grogan inducted into the IACP/DuPont™ Kevlar Survivors' Club® as the 3000th save.

TIMELINE

•“History of Kevlar”, retrieved on January 13, 2011 at 9:18pm from: http://www2.dupont.com/Kevlar/en_US/products/history.html

SOURCES

• http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blkevlar.htm

• http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/90.html