Abstract

The revolutionary discovery of poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide which is commercially known as Kevlar, by Stephanie Kwolek and Herbert Blades in 1965 has positively impacted several industries. Prominent among this is the use of this polymer for bullet proof protection by military officers, para-military officers as well as civilians. As such this polymer has not only played a principal role in life preservation but has also improved different aspects of human life. This review highlights the discovery, synthesis, peculiarities and applications of poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide with the intent that a better understanding of this polymer will aid in harnessing its potentials as well as explore new opportunities for developing novel polymers especially from natural sources.