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Interview no.: 0168
Date of interview: 21 March 1998
Location: Wilmington, Delaware
No. of pages: 38
Interviewer:
Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent
Minutes:
Sponsor: Society of Chemical Industry
Access level: Free Access. Users may view, quote from, cite, or reproduce the oral history with the permission of CHF. Users citing interviews for purposes of publication are obliged under the terms of the CHF Oral History Program to notify CHF of publication and credit CHF using the following format: [Name of interviewee], interview by [name of interviewer] at [interview location], [interview date] (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History Transcript # [interview number]).
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Stephanie Kwolek begins the interview with a discussion of her early career at DuPont. She joined DuPont in 1946, the same year she earned her B.S. in chemistry at Carnegie-Mellon University. Kwolek spent much of her time working on polymers, including aliphatic and aromatic polyamides. She discusses her level of independence in the laboratory, as well as her relationship with her supervisors. Kwolek began work with 1,4-B and was able to get a high molecular weight polymer. It was eventually discovered that the polymer spun beautifully and was quite strong. This polymer became Kevlar. Kwolek describes industry competition, the testing and scale-up of Kevlar, and the problems of confidentiality. She further discusses the relationship between Kevlar and Paul Flory’s theory of liquid polymer crystals. Kwolek concludes the interview with comments on her love of writing, her decision to leave DuPont, and the future of polymer research.
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| Title & Description |
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Page No. |
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Early Career at DuPont
Entering industry with a B.S. degree. Methods of polymerization. Aliphatic polyamides. Aromatic polyamides. Emphasis on long-term research. Hale Charch. Paul Morgan. Independence in laboratory. |
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1 |
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Kevlar
Finding a solvent for 1,4-B. Spinning the polymer. Commercial opportunity in radial tires. Discovery of bullet-resistance. PVDT. Competition. Scaling up Kevlar. Secrecy. |
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4 |
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Liquid Crystals
Paul Flory. Kevlar as theoretical discovery. Publishing results. |
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14 |
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Scientific Process
Importance of clarity in writing. Necessity of honesty. Knowing when to abandon a line of research. |
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17 |
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Conclusion
Decision to leave DuPont. Trend towards improving old products. Necessity of basic research. Future of innovation. Laboratory atmosphere. Colleagues. Choosing research projects. Current activities. Consulting. |
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20 |
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Notes
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35 |
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Index
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36 |
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| 1946 |
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B.S., Chemistry, Carnegie-Mellon University |
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| E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. |
| 1949-1959 |
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Chemist |
| 1959-1967 |
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Research Chemist |
| 1967-1974 |
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Senior Research Chemist |
| 1974-1986 |
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Research Associate |
| 1986- |
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Consultant |
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| National Academy of Sciences, Research Council |
| 1986- |
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Consultant |
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| 1959 |
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Publication Award, Delaware Section, American Chemical Society
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| 1976 |
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Howard N. Potts Medal, Franklin Institute of Philadelphia
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| 1978 |
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Award for Contributions to "Kevlar" (du Pont trademark for aramid fiber), American Society for Medals
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| 1980 |
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Chemical Pioneer Award, American Institute of Chemists
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| 1980 |
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Award for Creative Invention, American Chemical Society
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| 1981 |
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Honorary Doctor of Science Award, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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| 1983 |
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Alumni Association Merit Award, Carnegie-Mellon University
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| 1985 |
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Engineering/Technology Award, Society of Plastics Engineers
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| 1985 |
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Polymer Processing Hall of Fame, University of Akron
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| 1988 |
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Harold DeWitt Smith Memorial Award, American Society of Testing Materials
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| 1990 |
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du Pont Honoree at the Bicentennial Celebration of the United States Patent and Copyright Laws
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| 1995 |
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Inducted member of Inventor's Hall of Fame
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| 1997 |
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Perkin Medal, Society of Chemical Industry (American Section)
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Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Université Paris X. She holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Sorbonne, and is currently a fellow at the Dibner Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bensaude-Vincent is the author of numerous articles and books on the history of chemistry and physics, including Eloge du mixte: matériaux nouveaux et philosophie ancienne. In 1997, she received the Dexter Award for outstanding achievement in the history of chemistry.
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