Kevlar is a synthetic spunlaced fabric known as a polymer. Polymer comes from two Greek root words, "poly" (many) and "mer" (part). A polymer is made of monomer chemical units. The degree of polymerization (DP) represents the number of monomer units chained together to form a polymer. For example, a monomer has a DP of 1; two monomers has a DP of 2. One Kevlar polymer chain contains from five to a million monomers. Each monomer contains 14 carbon atoms, 2 nitrogen atoms, 2 oxygen atoms and 10 hydrogen atoms.
LabCommerce chose Kevlar as the main material for its Canister Blankets because of its chemical properties, advantages and tested applications.
Advantages of Kevlar
- Low shrinkage at high temperatures.
- Corrosion-resistance.
- Durability and strength.
- Bulkiness, yet extremely lightweight, soft and built for comfort.
- Conforms to high heat and thermal resistance requirements.
- No chemical binders.
Applications
Kevlar’s applications are tested in:
- bulletproof vests
- underwater cables
- brake linings
- space vehicles
- boats
- parachutes
- skis
- building materials
- fireblocking furnishings and mattresses
- aircraft seating
- thermal liners
About the Inventor of Kevlar
Stephanie Kwolek patented her discovery of Kevlar in 1966, after "successfully researching the high performance chemical compounds for the DuPont Company." She also invented para-aramid fibers, used in mooring ropes, fiber-optic cables, aircraft parts, canoes and bullet-proof vests.
Born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania in 1923, Kwolek was graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University) in 1946 with a bachelor’s degree. With 28 patents to her name and four decades of significant contributions to scientific research, Kwolek was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1995.
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