Stephanie Kwolek With Kevlar Gloves [Image via USA Today]
20. Stephanie Kwolek
Most Famous For Inventing:Kevlar
If you have ever worked in law enforcement or possibly as an Angel for Charlie, then you’ll likely want to thank chemist, Stephanie Kwolek. She invented Kevlar! Today, we mostly know Kevlar for its ability to stop bullets. This is due to the high tensile strength-to-weight ratio. This measurement actually makes it 5 times stronger than steel.
[Image via Timeforkids]That is why it is commonly used underneath clothing as a bulletproof vest. The idea originally for Kevlar was to use it as a replacement for steel in racing tires, funny enough. Therefore, the idea of replacing steel with it kinda worked. Kevlar is heat-resistant, which allows it to be useful for something like tires. This is why some bicycle tires utilize kevlar even today. However, we’ll likely always know Kevlar most for its ability to stop bullets.