Kevlar: a particularly light but very strong synthetic fiber.

Created in DuPont's labs in 1965 by Stephanie Kwolek and Herbert Blades[1], Kevlar was first used commercially in the early 1970s. It can be spun into ropes or sheets of fabric that can either be used as-is, or used in the construction of composite components. Kevlar is now used in a wide range of applications, from bicycles to body armor, due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, "...5 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis...". One of the most significant achievements in the development of body armor was the invention of DuPont's Kevlar ballistic fabric, a material which was originally intended to replace steel belting in vehicle tires. The development of Kevlar body armour for police use by the National Institute of Justice was a four-phase effort that took place over several years. The first phase involved testing Kevlar fabric to determine whether it could stop a lead bullet. The second phase involved determining the number of layers of material necessary to prevent penetration by bullets of varying speeds and calibers and developing a prototype vest that would protect officers against the most common threats: the .38 Special and the 22 Long Rifle bullets.

Nomex can be considered an aromatic nylon, the meta variant of the para-aramid Kevlar. It is sold in both fiber and sheet forms and is used as a fabric wherever resistance from heat and flame is required. Nomex sheet is actually a calendered paper and made in a similar fashion. Nomex Type 410 paper is the original and one of the larger grade types made, mostly for electrical insulation purposes. The Spruance plant, in Richmond, VA, is the sole North American paper production site. The paper is used in electrical laminates such as circuit boards and transformer cores as well as fireproof honeycomb structures where it is saturated with a phenolic resin. Honeycomb structures such as these, as well as mylar-Nomex laminates are used extensively in aircraft construction. Both the firefighting and vehicle racing industries use Nomex to create clothing and equipment that can stand up to intense heat. All aramids are heat and flame resistant but Kevlar, having a para orientation, can be molecularly aligned and gives high strength. Meta aramid cannot align during filament formation and has poor strength. Nomex fiber is made in the USA and in Spain (Asturias).