UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 39, Page 4
August 20, 1992
Composites center to award medal to Kevlar developers

     The Center for Composite Materials (CCM) at the University of
Delaware has selected three retired Du Pont Co. researchers to receive
the 1992 Medal of Excellence in Composite Materials: Herbert Blades,
Stephanie L. Kwolek and the late Paul W. Morgan.
     The three were chosen for their contributions to the development
of Kevlar aramid fiber, a multi-million-dollar product that is a
primary component of composites used in tires, watercraft, aircraft
and aerospace vehicles.
     The medal, established in 1984 in conjunction with CCM's 10th
anniversary, honors outstanding leaders in the composites field who
have maintained scholarly endeavor, invention and/or economic
enterprise over a sustained period of time. Over the years, the award
has gained prestige due largely to the caliber of those who have
received it.
     Blades, who lives in Hockessin, is cited for inventing the
engineering processes to commercialize Kevlar.
     He joined Du Pont in 1954, after earning a doctorate in physical
chemistry from McGill University in Canada. He spent his entire career
at the Experimental Station in Wilmington and retired in 1985 as a
research fellow. He was awarded the Lavoisier Medal for Technical
Achievement.
     Kwolek, who lives in Wilmington, is cited for her innovative
efforts in the synthesis of liquid crystalline polymers, which formed
the basis for the polyaramid system.
     Dr. Morgan is cited for his pioneering work in condensation
polymerization, which provided the basis for the discovery and
development of Kevlar aramid fiber technology. Dr. Morgan earned a
doctoral degree in organic chemistry from Ohio State University.
     Dr. Morgan retired from the Du Pont Co. in 1976 and was selected
to receive the Medal of Excellence only a month after his death in May
1992.
     "The development of Kevlar into a viable product required work at
the synthesis, processing and engineering levels," said CCM Director
R.L. McCullough," which is why these three outstanding individuals
were jointly selected to receive this year's award."
     The 1992 Medal of Excellence in Composite Materials will be
presented at the annual research symposium of the Center for Composite
Materials in September.
     Previous medal winners are Zvi Hashin, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Anthony
Kelly and Stephen W. Tsai, all 1984; B. Walter Rosen, 1985; Alan M.
Lovelace, George M. Peterson and Gen. Bernard A. Shriever, all 1986;
Roger Bacon, Akio Shindo and William Watt, all 1987; Karl M. Prewo,
1988; Richard M. Christensen, 1989; Derek Hull, 1990; and Roger R.
Naslain, 1991.