Chance Discoveries: Kevlar--Part of a series on "Chance Discoveries" in chemistry, this video tells the story of lab work done in 1965 by DuPont chemist Stephanie Kwolek that unexpectedly produced Kevlar, a lightweight fiber five times stronger than steel. Kevlar fibers can be spun into anti-ballistic, shrapnel-resistant material for protective body armor worn by police forces, military troops and those in combat zones.

Credit: NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation (NSF)