After getting a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Chemistry Stephanie Kwolek intended to carry on her studies to become a doctor. To pay for her further education in 1946 she took up a job at DuPont where she eventually stayed for 40 years. With a team of colleagues Kwolek studied the properties of polymers and searched for a new synthetic fibre to be used in automobile tyres. In 1965 she discovered “Kevlar” (poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide) - fibre which is a few times stronger yet much lighter than steel. Nowadays it is used in the production of ballistic vests, tennis rackets, hockey sticks, boats, planes, cables, armoured vehicles, ultra-strong construction material, clothes and shoes for firefighters. Stephanie Kwolek became the first woman to be awarded the DuPont's Lavoisier Medal for outstanding technical achievements.
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